Academy Intensifies Campaign Against Open Defecation In Lagos

As open defecation crisis in Nigeria worsens with roughly 48 to 50 million citizens lacking access to basic toilets and instead using fields, streets, and water bodies, fellows of the Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy (LJLA) said they will today stage a 10-kilometre awareness walk to promote improved sanitation, behavioural change and cleaner public spaces across Lagos State.

Addressing journalists in Lagos, the project’s Team Lead, Bayode Oke-Thomas, said the initiative was developed after months of research, stakeholder engagement and community consultations, which identified poor sanitation practices as one of the major public health and environmental challenges confronting the state.

He explained that the project combines modern sanitation infrastructure with a circular economy model capable of converting human waste into biogas while driving behavioural change through sustained public enlightenment campaigns.

According to him, the team has proposed a pilot sanitation hub at a busy transport terminal where upgraded public toilets will not only provide cleaner and safer facilities but also generate renewable energy from human waste.

Co-Lead of the awareness walk, Shalom Ernest, said the exercise is designed to sensitise residents to the dangers of open defecation and indiscriminate urination while encouraging greater personal responsibility for environmental hygiene.

He noted that the 10-kilometre distance symbolises the long journeys many residents undertake to access decent public toilets, underscoring the urgent need for increased investment in sanitation infrastructure across Lagos.

Ernest disclosed that participants would assemble at Allen Junction before proceeding to Ojota, where activities would conclude with the screening of a documentary showcasing the project’s conception, sustainability model and future expansion plans.

He added that medical personnel, security agencies and emergency responders would be deployed to ensure the safety of participants throughout the exercise.

Also speaking, Oluwatosin Alabi described Pee-Poo to Power Lagos as more than a sanitation campaign, saying it represents a movement to change public perception of waste and demonstrate how environmental challenges can be transformed into economic opportunities.

Alabi acknowledged the support received from government agencies, development partners, engineering professionals, media organisations and community stakeholders, while calling for stronger public and private sector collaboration to scale the initiative across the state.

The fellows expressed confidence that the project aligns with the Lagos State Government’s vision of building cleaner, healthier and more sustainable communities through improved sanitation, renewable energy solutions and responsible environmental practices.