The city does not smell of roses, By Temitope Sodipo

Lagos does not need to experience its own Great Stink before taking decisive action. The warning signs are visible and painfully olfactory. This challenge presents an opportunity to rethink how a fast-growing metropolis can manage its resources and infrastructure more effectively. A cleaner Lagos will require investment, planning, innovation and sustained public cooperation. Above all, it calls for a shared commitment to protecting the environment, preserving public health, and creating a city in which people can live and work with dignity.

What is that stench? Oh, it is the waste collection and disposal truck leaving a trail of small debris and foul smell in its wake. Incidentally, each part of Lagos seems to have its own distinctive smell, but the common denominator is that none exactly smells of roses.

Like many rapidly growing cities, Lagos faces the arduous task of keeping its environment clean while accommodating an expanding population, increasing consumption and rising volumes of waste. With an estimated 13,000 to 15,000 metric tonnes of waste generated daily, the demands on its collection and disposal systems are enormous. From waste accumulating at collection points through an aging and insufficient fleet of compactor trucks to landfill capacity, blocked drainage channels, flooding and inadequate sewage systems, these challenges highlight the significant infrastructure deficit and the intricate relationship between urban growth, infrastructure development, and environmental sustainability.

Lessons from the Great Stink of 1858, a fascinating episode in London’s history? That summer, unusually hot weather intensified the stench from the River Thames, which had become the receptacle for much of the city’s untreated sewage. London’s population had grown rapidly, placing increasing demands on sanitation infrastructure that had struggled to keep pace. The resulting stench was so unbearable that parliamentary proceedings were disrupted. The crisis prompted legislation to fund a comprehensive sewerage system, which transformed London’s sanitation infrastructure and helped protect public health. What had begun as an intolerable environmental nuisance became a catalyst for an ambitious programme of urban renewal.

Yet, more than a century-and-a-half later, London continues to grapple with sewage pollution and other environmental pressures on the Thames. Similarly, the cleanup of the Seine ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics required substantial investment in wastewater and sanitation infrastructure, as part of a broader €1.4 billion programme, underscoring the scale of investment and planning that environmental renewal can demand. These examples demonstrate that environmental management is never truly complete, even for cities with established infrastructure. The infrastructure for maintaining and renewing urban systems must continue to evolve as population grows, consumption patterns change, and environmental demands become more complex.

…a clean environment is a shared responsibility. Public authorities and waste management operators have important roles to play in providing reliable services, while residents and businesses can contribute through responsible disposal, waste segregation, and avoidance of the use of drainage channels as dump sites. Public education and consistent enforcement can reinforce these efforts.

What, then, can Lagos learn from these experiences?

First, waste management should be understood as an essential component of urban planning and development. Efficient collection and disposal involve more than deploying trucks. They require suitable transfer and disposal facilities, effective drainage, appropriate sewage systems, reliable funding, regular maintenance, and coordination across the relevant agencies.

Second, a clean environment is a shared responsibility. Public authorities and waste management operators have important roles to play in providing reliable services, while residents and businesses can contribute through responsible disposal, waste segregation, and avoidance of the use of drainage channels as dump sites. Public education and consistent enforcement can reinforce these efforts. Ultimately, the objective is to build a city where waste is managed safely and efficiently, rather than merely moved from one location to another. A refuse truck that leaves a trail of dirt behind may have removed waste from one street only to share it across geographies. Effective waste management requires more than collection, a process that still has room for improvement. The quality of transportation and final disposal matters just as much.

Apparently, urbanisation has expanded the cattle egret’s dietary preferences. After all, bird sef must chop! But there is a difference between adaptation and progress. The cattle egret may have found an alternative food source, but its resourcefulness should not become an excuse for ours to falter. Birds can adapt to our waste; our cities should not have to.

Few metaphors for the evolution of waste management as a developmental challenge are as apt as the cattle egret — Lagos Waste Management Authority’s unofficial mascot. Once commonly seen trailing cattle in search of food (ticks borne by the herds), these adaptable birds now seem equally comfortable accompanying refuse trucks and foraging around heaps of garbage. Apparently, urbanisation has expanded the cattle egret’s dietary preferences. After all, bird sef must chop! But there is a difference between adaptation and progress. The cattle egret may have found an alternative food source, but its resourcefulness should not become an excuse for ours to falter. Birds can adapt to our waste; our cities should not have to.

Lagos does not need to experience its own Great Stink before taking decisive action. The warning signs are visible and painfully olfactory. This challenge presents an opportunity to rethink how a fast-growing metropolis can manage its resources and infrastructure more effectively. A cleaner Lagos will require investment, planning, innovation and sustained public cooperation. Above all, it calls for a shared commitment to protecting the environment, preserving public health, and creating a city in which people can live and work with dignity. And perhaps, one day, when a waste collection truck passes, the only thing left in its wake will be the sound of its engine, not the stench.

Temitope Sodipo is a lawyer in the financial services sector. An avid gardener, birdwatcher, and arts enthusiast. She writes from Lagos.