By Olaotan Falade
Lagos, Nigeria’s centre of excellence attainment of its much cherished mega/smart city status might be under serious threats as the state still battles indiscriminate refuse dump on its most busy and commercially viable roads and cities.
Wikipedia defines megacity as a metropolitan area with a total population in excess of ten million people. It could be a single metropolitan area or two or more metropolitan areas that converge. Likewise, it also defines a smart city as an urban development vision to integrate information and communication technology (ICT) and Internet of things (IoT) technology in a secure fashion to manage a city’s assets.
While the state qualifies automatically as a megacity due to its population which is in excess of the required 10 million, TheNewsGuru.com reports that the immediate past administration in the state, under the leadership of Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) now Minister of Works, Power and Housing set the ball in motion in terms of provision of basic infrastructures.
Fashola had at a Lagos Liveable City Conference in November 2013 stated that his administration was committed to facing squarely the challenges that comes with managing a megacity (by population) like Lagos.
Fashola had during the conference themed “Preparing for the mental and social health needs of the Lagos Megacity”, explained that the object of governance in a mega city “is firstly and lastly for the people and about the people including the man on the street who must be able to live in it. He must be able to breathe in it. He must be able to dream in it – dream for himself, for his family, for his succeeding generations. He must be safe in it”.
However, while several old structures were bulldozed to make space for either a new/upgraded road networks or some attention catching edifice truly befitting of a megacity, one thing that remained a major challenge was the indiscriminate dump of refuse on the very roads and in cities that government spent billions of naira to construct.
On assumption of office in May 2015, the Akinwunmi Ambode led administration further climbed the ladder of change by declaring that Lagos was joining the leagues of Dubai, Malta and India as the next smart city, the first of its kind in Africa.
To drive home the smart-Lagos agenda, Governor Ambode and Chairman of Dubai Holdings, Ahmad Bin Byat, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister of Dubai last year superintended the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Emirates Tower, Dubai by Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem and the Chief Executive Officer of Smart City Dubai LLC, Mr. Jabber Bin Hafez.
The governor at the brief ceremony said: “A Smart-City Lagos will be the pride of all Lagosians just as we have Smart City Dubai, Smart-City Malta and Smart-City Kochi (India). We are encouraged by the fact that we do not, as a government, need to develop at a slow pace, but take full advantage of the digital age and fast track development of Lagos to a real megalopolis that we can all be proud of. The future is ours to take. It also marks the first Smart City in Africa when completed.”
TheNewsGuru.com reports that within two years of taking over the mantle of leadership in the state, Governor Ambode has embarked on several projects to fast track the achievement of the smart city project. These include; the light up Lagos projects, Fourth Mainland Bridge, the recently launched public Wi-Fi, and several others.
However despite all these giant strides to reposition Lagos as one of the leading economic and business hub in the world, a tour by TheNewsGuru.com‘s team to some of the cities and roads proved that unless the government gives immediate and unwavering attention to the management of waste in the state, the new smart-city project might just be one of the numerous agenda of government that is usually dead on arrival.
In Ikeja, the state capital, heaps of refuse were a common sight to behold almost at every turn or direction. One would have imagined that the ‘keep Lagos clean’ initiative should have commenced from the state capital to complement the popular saying that ‘charity begins from home.’ If the capital (despite the heavy presence of government agencies and officials) does not drive home the status of a smart-city, where else will?
A resident and businessman who spoke to the TheNewsGuru.com on condition of anonymity said: ‘Lagos is synonymous to dirt and Ikeja being the capital is no exception. Successive governments have tried to put in place enduring legacies to change the face of Lagos but paid lesser attention to the management of waste which could be a blessing in disguise as witnessed in several other developing countries. We need a cleaner and safer Lagos, and both government and the governed have a role to play in its achievement,” he said.
The sole agency saddled with the maintenance of cleaner and safer environment, Lagos State Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, domiciled under the Ministry of Environment is probably overwhelmed by the enormous task of waste collection in a dynamic state like Lagos.
Through its Private Sector Participation, PSP, the dynamics of waste management has further improved but not at a projected pace.
A thorough monitoring by TheNewsGuru.com revealed that most of the waste trucks used are either rickety or completely out of order with some breaking down on public roads for as long as a week before they are removed.
TheNewsGuru.com further gathered that the refuse are dumped along a busy road and around residential areas on the instruction of the waste collectors. This sometimes constitutes nuisance and great health hazards as the waste collectors don’t come to pack the refuse days after.
A visit by TheNewsGuru.com team to Jakande Estate (in Ejigbo LCDA), Ojota, Ketu and Ago Palace road could not prove otherwise. There were huge refuse dump, stinking and begging for attention.
Mrs. Aina sells around Jakande Estate, she told TheNewsGuru.com that what we (TheNewsGuru.com team) saw on the day of visit was a child’s play compared to what was there some few weeks ago. She said business owners and residents now contribute money to pack the refuse once it is getting ‘out of hand.’
“You people (referring to the TheNewsGuru.com team) are even lucky that we had contributed money to pack some of the refuse some few days ago. You can see for yourself how improper this is. This how we operate here. The smell alone is killing. We want to appeal to government to prevail on LAWMA to be more effective. Many people have fallen ill and even died as a result of this refuse heaped up here. The LAWMA people need to improve on their efficiency and shouldnt wait till matters get out of hand before coming around,” Aina said emphatically.
Another resident along Ojota axis told TheNewsGuru.com that the PSP operators are beginning to constitute nuisance on government roads and even the environment. He said most times the PSP operators leave dirt and stinking smell whenever they come for their operations.
“If it were possible, residents here will ban PSP operators. You need to perceive the smell in this area whenever they (LAWMA PSP) come around. The waste would have started decaying and the smell and sight is usually very offensive. And they charge us outrageous bill too. Government needs to check into the activities of these people. They are not timely and efficient at all”, the resident said.
Efforts to reach the Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Babatunde Adejare and the Executive Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Mr. Olumuyiwa Adejokun for comments did not succeed as at press time.