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Irregular PSP services trigger rising waste hazards across Lagos communities

Published

3 weeks ago

November 16, 2025

Irregular PSP services trigger rising waste hazards across Lagos communities

Residents across several Lagos communities have raised alarm over what they describe as increasingly irregular waste collection services by Private Sector Participant (PSP) operators, warning that indiscriminate dumping and burning of refuse is escalating environmental and public health risks.

In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), residents lamented prolonged gaps in waste evacuation in areas such as Ikorodu, Ayobo, Alagbado, Shasha, Ikotun, Akesan, Mafoluku, Airport Road and LASU–Iba Road. A NAN correspondent observed heaps of uncollected waste across many of the affected neighbourhoods.

In Ikorodu, businesswoman Miss Adekoya Toyosi said PSP operators no longer maintain a predictable schedule.

“Collection dropped from about three times a month to once. If the waste becomes too much and the PSP doesn’t show up, people dump it in the gutter when it rains or burn it on sunny days,” she said, adding that residents pay between ₦500 and ₦700 monthly depending on waste volume.

Another resident, Mr Timilehin Ogunnariwo, said PSP trucks often arrive already filled up, leaving inner streets untouched.

“I keep three drums in my compound, but once they overflow, rats scatter the waste. Leakage from PSP trucks in the market has also become a recurring hazard,” he noted.

Fashion designer Mrs Ajibola Mafolayanmi said she burns her waste three to four times weekly due to erratic collection.

“There’s a field where we can dispose of waste, but it’s far. Burning gives us cough and catarrh, but we have no alternative,” she said.

Mrs Ogundinmu Mariam, who monitors market waste in Ikorodu, confirmed that council evacuation occurs only sporadically. “During the rainy season, everything becomes messy and smelly. Many residents now rely on informal waste haulers,” she added.

Others, like food vendor Mrs Oluranti Favour, said cart pushers have become their main option as PSP services “now come once in a while.” Another resident, Iya Gbogo, said she pays between ₦500 and ₦1,000 weekly for private disposal since she is not registered under the PSP scheme.

In Ayobo Extension, residents blamed service disruption on poor roads and prolonged rainfall. “The operators only resurfaced after a very long time,” Mrs Gloria Ogbu said.

At Shasha, Egbeda, a teacher, Mrs Stella Lawrence, alleged that PSP operators provide “selective services,” with nearby estates receiving regular collection while other streets are neglected. “Many people have returned to banned cart pushers,” she noted.

Along AIT Road, Alagbado, heaps of refuse were seen on the road median after weeks of non-collection.

In Ikotun, journalist Mr Ugochukwu Eze criticised the billing model of PSP operators. “Sometimes they don’t come for two weeks yet still issue full bills. It’s like the old NEPA—bill whether service is rendered or not,” he said, calling for a pay-as-you-go system.

For residents around the Akesan–Badore axis on the LASU–Isheri corridor, waste collection had not occurred for more than three weeks. Civil servant Mr Kunle Ayodele linked the disruption to the closure of the Igando dumpsite and the longer turnaround time at the Badagry dumpsite.

“The heaps pose serious health risks. PSP comes only twice a month now, so people are dumping waste on the expressway,” he said.

In Ajao Estate, civil servant Mr Ugochukwu Okoro said collection frequency has dropped despite consistent payments. “PSP used to come every Wednesday. Now they rarely show up. The estate is gradually losing its reputation for cleanliness,” he said.

In contrast, residents of Lekki Phase 1 reported uninterrupted PSP service. Civil servant Mrs Ese Afolabi praised the operators for evacuating waste consistently every Monday. “Their reliability keeps the estate clean,” she said.

The President of the Association of Scrap and Waste Pickers of Lagos, Mr Friday Oku, acknowledged residents’ concerns about scavengers scattering waste but said his association was working with government agencies to train waste pickers on proper handling and safety.

“Some scavengers operate outside our association and avoid training for fear of taxation,” he said, adding that more training programmes are planned for next

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Ex-CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele Denies Allegations of Financing Terrorism

Published

5 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Trends Admin

Godwin Emefiele

Ex-CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele Denies Allegations of Financing Terrorism

Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, has strongly denied allegations linking him to terrorism financing in Nigeria, describing the claims as “mischievous and malicious.”

In a statement released on Saturday, December 6, 2025, Emefiele said the reports were “entirely fabricated, baseless, and a deliberate attempt to malign my name, mislead the public, and sow confusion for motives best known only to the publishers and their sponsors.”

He emphasized that the fight against terrorism is too important to be trivialized by irresponsible reporting, warning that Nigerians deserve accurate information rather than “reckless misinformation.”

Ex-CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele Denies Allegations of Financing Terrorism

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Shettima Inaugurates Multi-Million Naira Juma’at Mosque in Gumel

Published

5 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Trends Admin

Shettima Inaugurates Multi-Million Naira Juma’at Mosque in Gumel

Vice President Kashim Shettima on Friday inaugurated the newly constructed multi-million-naira Juma’at Mosque located within the Emir of Gumel’s Palace in Jigawa State.

According to a statement by Zainab Rabo, Senior Special Assistant on Media Affairs to Governor Umar Namadi, the event drew high-level dignitaries, including top politicians, first-class emirs, captains of industry, and prominent Islamic scholars from across the country.

Rabo disclosed that the mosque was built by the Kashim Shettima Foundation, adding that Governor Umar A. Namadi and the Sultan of Sokoto graced the ceremony.

Shettima Inaugurates Multi-Million Naira Juma’at Mosque in Gumel

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Police Launch Special Enforcement Team to Enforce Tinubu’s Ban on VIP Escorts

Published

5 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Trends Admin

Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun

Police Launch Special Enforcement Team to Enforce Tinubu’s Ban on VIP Escorts

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has deployed a Special Enforcement Team in Lagos to enforce President Bola Tinubu’s directive ending the use of police officers as escorts and guards for Very Important Persons (VIPs).

The operation, according to a statement posted on the Force’s official X account on Saturday by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, commenced at about 10:00 a.m. on December 6, 2025, across key locations in Lagos State.

Hundeyin confirmed that the team carried out compliance checks at major points, including the Lekki–Ikoyi Link Bridge, the Murtala Muhammed International Airport domestic terminal, and other strategic hotspots within the state.