Refuse piles overwhelm Lagos streets, sparking epidemic fears

Public health fears are mounting across Lagos as operational challenges at the Olusosun dumpsite leave heaps of refuse uncollected, heightening the risk of disease outbreaks. With the country still battling Lassa fever, the growing mountains of waste have become breeding grounds for rats, flies, mosquitoes, and other disease-carrying vectors.

For residents like Ify Chidiebere, a 41-year-old nurse, the towering heaps of refuse littering streets are a ticking public health time bomb. She walks past overflowing waste bins and decomposing garbage daily, fearing that the worsening sanitation crisis could trigger outbreaks of water-borne and vector-borne diseases, especially during the rainy season. Chidiebere noted that rotting waste has transformed parts of the neighborhood into breeding grounds for disease vectors, capable of spreading infections rapidly in densely populated areas like Oshodi.

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The situation is becoming alarming. The refuse is left unattended for days, sometimes weeks, and whenever it rains, dirty water from the waste flows into drains and surrounding areas.

"The situation is becoming alarming. The refuse is left unattended for days, sometimes weeks, and whenever it rains, dirty water from the waste flows into drains and surrounding areas," Chidiebere told Saturday PUNCH. "This increases the risk of diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever and diarrhoea. Mosquitoes also breed in the stagnant water around these refuse dumps, raising concerns about malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases."

Residents have repeatedly appealed to the Lagos Waste Management Authority and Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators, but have only received promises. The uncollected refuse has also clogged drainage channels, worsening flooding during heavy rains. Many families, especially those with young children and elderly relatives, are increasingly worried about their health and safety due to the deteriorating environmental conditions. Children playing near these refuse dumps risk exposure to harmful bacteria and disease-causing organisms, potentially leading parents to spend scarce money on treatment instead of necessities.

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This increases the risk of diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever and diarrhoea. Mosquitoes also breed in the stagnant water around these refuse dumps, raising concerns about malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases.