Residents of Meiran community in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State have resorted to self-help after authorities failed to respond to earlier reports of abandoned waste collection in the area.
Weeks after TheNumbersNG reported that heaps of refuse had taken over streets and residential corners due to the absence of their designated Private Sector Participant (PSP), residents say the situation remained unchanged. Despite public outcry and attempts to alert the relevant authorities, no official intervention followed.
According to findings, the PSP contractor had not evacuated refuse in the community since November 6, 2025. At the time of the initial report, residents expressed fears of an imminent public health crisis, particularly with the rainy season approaching. However, they now say that even media exposure did not prompt any action from the appropriate agencies.
“You will not believe that your last publication about the refuse in my area did not yield any response by the authority,” a frustrated resident told TheNumbersNG. “We had to involve Aboki parking refuse to evacuate the dirts.”
The phrase “Aboki parking” refers to informal waste collectors who use carts and makeshift means to gather and dispose of refuse for a fee. Desperate to clear their environment of the mounting filth and unbearable stench, residents pooled resources to hire these informal operators to remove the accumulated waste.
Previously, Olawale Kolaru, a resident, had described the situation as “dangerous and unacceptable,” warning that unmanaged refuse was attracting rodents, flies, and other disease-carrying pests. Residents had also reported failed attempts to contact the Lagos State Ministry of Environment, noting that emails sent to addresses believed to belong to the ministry repeatedly bounced back.
Public health concerns remain central. Experts have consistently warned that poor waste management creates breeding grounds for infectious diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and Lassa fever, risks that are heightened in densely populated communities like Alimosho.
Moreover, the development raises broader concerns about oversight and accountability within Lagos State’s waste management system. While the government has repeatedly affirmed its commitment to environmental sanitation through agencies such as the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), residents argue that weak monitoring of PSP operators continues to undermine these assurances.
Although the immediate piles of refuse may have been temporarily cleared through private effort, residents insist that the core issue remains unresolved. They are calling on the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and LAWMA to investigate the prolonged service failure, sanction defaulting contractors, and restore structured, regular waste evacuation to prevent a recurrence.
For many in Meiran, the episode underscores a troubling reality: when formal systems fail, communities are left to bear both the financial burden and the public health risk.
As the rainy season draws nearer, residents warn that without urgent institutional intervention, the community could once again face a dangerous buildup of waste, this time with even more severe consequences.
