Mega city, mega mess: Why open defecation still plagues Lagos

By Fatima Idera

Under the popular Mile 12 bridge in Lagos, the stench hits before the sight. Human wastes line the walkway. Puddles of urine glisten in the sun, yet some residents unzip to relieve themselves freely, unbothered by the bold warnings etched on nearby walls: “Do not urinate here.”

Muhammad Aminu, a young hawker, had just finished urinating when our reporter approached. Unflinching, he adjusted his belt and shrugged. “Na here we dey use. I no fit waka far go toilet, make I lose customers,” he said in pidgin English.

This daily ritual plays out under bridges, behind and beside market stalls, motor parks and road medians across Lagos state, Nigeria’s economic capital and Africa’s largest city. Despite government rhetoric and sanitation campaigns, open defecation and urination remain visible and persistent.

On the 15th of January 2026, this reporter visited the mainland Popular market (Mile 12) and was greeted with a putrid smell under the bridge, where she saw a young boy in his twenties urinating on the express road.

The smell came from Muhammad Aminu, who was caught in awe when approached about practising open defecation. He narrated that he sells potatoes in Lagos traffic and revealed that the underpass is where he and his friends urinate quickly whenever they are pressed for time during the day.

When The Lagos Voice asked him why he perpetuated such an irritating act publicly, he explained that he had no choice as a street hawker, claiming he could not leave the express to use the toilet because he works with a schedule when selling. “ I have to hustle till I sell all my goods for the day before leaving the express road, as going to the toilet might take longer,” he said.

In 2023, it was estimated that 48 million Nigerians were practicing open defecation (or 10 million households) were practising open defecation. Approximately 25% of households in Nigeria (33% in rural areas and 15% in urban areas) still practice open defecation.

Daniel Popoola, a Digital marketer in the environment who saw when Aminu perpetuated the act, spoke on how they experience it every day, saying, “The urine and poo smell around is very heinous and detrimental to our respiratory organs.”

“Although I just started here some months ago, I have no option but to come to work every day, since we all have to make money,” he added.

Meanwhile, they do both urine and poo here; we only watch them while they do their open defecation opposite my shop. Who are we to complain to agbero or Mallam, after all, everyone knows bad behaviour. “They urinate in the daylight and pass faeces in the dark”, he revealed.

Despite the availability of public toilets, many still prefer to do it openly. You see, this particular bridge junction, no matter how they try to curb it, even with an inscription that “Do not Urinate here”, they still tend to exhibit the act.

Speaking on how risky life is, Daniel explained that one has to make money to survive and that means one might be risking their health just for survival as the country is very hard at the moment “all we do is just to make our own sales and pray we are never affected and leave the part of stopping them to the government,” Daniel narrated.

Past Perpetrators Explain Dilemma

While narrating his ugly act to The Lagos Voice, Ibrahim Kiakia, a wheelbarrow pusher in Mushin, Lagos, revealed that he seldom perpetuates the act because the toilet is not really close to him and it will take him longer to go and get back to his business, which might ruin his sales for the day, as his business requires him to be on-site always.

“I have spent close to 8 years here, and many people perpetuate the act; it is not limited to one person. I do it only when I am pressed. Although the urine affects passerby and sellers’ health, I suggest those who are affected should use Medicine, “ he concluded.

Corroborating Ibrahim, Angela Stephen, a resident of Bariga, explained that there are several locations where urine and faeces smell in Lagos, as she highlighted some popular and busy markets like “Alaba market, Mile 12, Bariga and so on, as well as bus stops and transportation hubs.”

Angela further explained that this is common in densely populated neighbourhoods prone to improper sanitation, relaying the factors which lead to lack of access to sanitation facilities, inadequate waste management and cultural or behavioural habits.

“While It is difficult to pinpoint specific groups who perpetuate this act, one cannot tell if it is men, women, passerby or market women but I will reveal to you that I have done it before and that is because I was so pressed and I needed to answer nature’s call, and I could not find a toilet at that moment,” she said remorsefully.

Obviously, the smell of urine and faeces is unpleasant and potentially hazardous to health, as prolonged exposure to such environments might lead to respiratory issues or other health problems.

But despite public toilets in the market, their availability and maintenance significantly impact the prevalence of open defecation. If they are not well maintained or cleaned it can’t be used as people will want to resort to open defecation as they try to avoid infections.

She suggested that the Lagos state government should improve waste management infrastructure, access to proper sanitation facilities, implement public awareness campaigns, collaborate with community leaders to promote behavioural change, and invest in social housing and public toilets. To address the issue in Lagos, which will require a multifaceted approach, that involves the government, community and individuals working together to curb this menace permanently.

While some have been perpetrators, other individuals have not
Oluwaseun Ayoola, a resident of the Mile 2 area, revealed that such smells come from around 2nd Rainbow to Festac access road, the new road roundabout angle that doesn’t really affect him.

“It has not affected my health in any way. I have never done such a thing because it is a dumb act, but it is mostly done by the northerners, especially those bike riders, motorists and alcohol addicts. There are no public toilets closer to my area, and as such I presume that is why they do such an act.” Mr Ayoola suggested that for the good development of the state, the government should work on erecting more structures for that purpose in that area.

Yusuf Ayobami, a student and resident of Isolo, Ikotun Egbe, said that Urine and poo are common around Ajao estate, along that chivita company roadside, as it is commonly found inside the gutters. He said, “I had never done such an act because I see no reason why I should do that, even though anyone can perpetrate the act.”

There are always public toilets at the front door market side, but they prefer to do it openly as they know that the disgusting smell is a threat to our health.

Speaking to The Lagos Voice, Jemilat Nasiru, a resident of Amuwo-Odofin, said that locations which she plies and perceives smells are Trade Fair, Abule-Ado, Mile 2, Ikeja, Oshodi, among others.

“Such an act is wrong, morally and legally, and I’m not exposed to it long enough to contract any diseases or develop any health issues,” she said. Meanwhile, those who practice open defecation are usually passersby and residents without proper homes, as well as members of the public who do not have access to public toilets.

She added, “There are no public toilets around that much. The few instances I have seen are privately owned, and they are usually paid for and unkept, hence people resort to open defecation.”

She implored the government to help provide more affordable housing, make more public toilets available, and also improve the existing ones and make Open defecation an offence by implementing laws that would deter people from perpetrating it.

Are Alcohol Addict and Danfo drivers the biggest perpetrators?

Adebayo Babatunde, a yellow bus driver popularly known as Danfo in Yaba, Lagos, narrated that the victims mess up everywhere, both in the bush and under the bridge, which makes everything sticky. “They do poop mostly in the night, but for urine, it is every time, both morning and afternoon,” he said.

“The Odour is not good for our health, but we have no choice but to perceive it, and we come out every day to work. As for me, I do not perpetuate the act on my tyre during a holdup.”

There is no limit to it by now, as some road safety authorities are already chasing them away, as before all those expressways will have been full of urine.

Pointing to a refuse dump site with an inscription of do not urinate here, he told this reporter that they also urinate there despite the warnings.

Also, a resident of Ikorodu named Kolawole Dada revealed that the smell is common in locations like Mile 12, Ajegunle, Oshodi and Makoko in Lagos.

Dada suggested that perpetrators of that act should be fined to put an end to it, and anyone caught should be used as a scapegoat, “like the way they catch people who do not use the pedestrian bridge”.

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He emphasised the government taking steps to maintain toilets and monitor those collecting money too, so as not to extort people, as their prices are exorbitant, building toilets in strategic locations.

“In my environment, people who perpetrate this act are alcohol addicts and residents, and this is because Majority of Lagosians are not properly educated, and illiteracy is also at its peak in some locations,” he revealed

He concluded that a proper system for water and waste disposal should be processed and people could contract malaria from dirty water from rivers that might have been contaminated by either excreta or urine.

Bisola Saheed, a woman who sells alcohol, explained that under the bridge opposite her kiosk is their home of urine.

Bisola said, “(Abe bridge yen gangan ni Ile ito wan) meaning under the bridge is their own toilet to urinate, immediately they buy one or two from me, they are going there to pass out their urine,” she explained.

It is not limited to them alone. Passersby, drivers, and even people in the market do it more often, especially men, since urinating in public is more comfortable for them.

There are three public toilets here, but they won’t use them. This really affects me and my health very much as an alcohol and drinks seller, but I have no choice or option, this is my only means of survival,l so I come here every day to sell in my market so I can feed myself and my children.

Despite clean and cheap toilets, many still lack good hygiene

Mrs Abosede Olaiya, a public toilet cleaner at Ketu-Mile 12, gives details on how, despite the availability of toilets, many still prefer to urinate and defecate in public.

“Many people are stubborn; they even urinate in front of my shop while aware that I have a public toilet for business. I wash my toilet with water, sanitizer and Izal every 2 hours. No one can have toilet infections from my own toilet; those mallams use to make it messy, but I will still clean it. I also use it,t so I make it clean for myself and my customers,” she revealed.

“For average Nigerians, my charge for urine is 50naira while for faeces is 100naira,” she added.

Environmentalist weighs in

In an interview with Lawal Yakubu Gada, an environmentalist who works as the executive director for an NGO, African Foundation for Environment and Climate Change (APEC), spoke on the causes of persistent open defecation in megacities in Nigeria (Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano).

While enumerating the causes, impact and prevention of this menace, Lawal said one of these causes of this menace is lack of access to good toilets and latrines in the major cities “If you are visiting Lagos for the first and and you’re pressed, you will wonder before you could see a Public toilet nearby. It is an alcoholic task. Therefore, it is a nature, when it demands, one needs to answer, but for the absence to a clean toilet, which necessitates someone to look for any nearby open place or bush to ease him/herself.”

According to a joint report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), only 32% of the Nigerian population has access to improved water and sanitation facilities, such as good toilets and latrines. About 68% of our population doesn’t have access to good hygiene, like toilets. Meaning these people have to resort to one kind of open defecation or another.

Lawal also mentioned that poor people cannot afford clean toilets, houses that have toilets inbuilt or cannot afford to pay for the little public toilet we have, ‘pay and use toilets’. “Due to inflation, the price that used to be #10, #20 rises to #100 or even #200 in some places, but poor people who are looking for what to eat find it difficult to pay just to ease themselves, so they resort to open defecation.”

Dr Lawal also noted that due to rural/urban migration, there’s a higher increase of impacts towards the megacities in terms of better livelihood, correlated with poverty. “According to the World Bank report 2023, Nigeria has over 63% poverty, multifaceted/multidimensional poverty in the country. i.e more than 60% of our population is poor, which means just like lack of access to water and sanitation.”

He added that poverty is contributing to rural/urban migration in search of better livelihood. “When they arrive, they can’t afford to rent houses, pay for a hotel, and you find them living under bridges, in ghettos, or where there’s no provision for hygiene (toilets and latrines) s these are the categories of people that really resort to open defecation”, Lawal said.

Citing corruption from the Nigerian government, Lawal attributed it to be a potential cause to evaluate as evident in the outside budgetary allocation where donor fundings by WHO, UNICEF is expected to fight the menace of open defecation both in rural and urban areas. “Because of corruption you can not see most of these facilities around, another reason is lack of policy by the government itself, if there policy exists e.g like we want to have one million public toilets across Lagos city or 500 across Abuja city or 300 across Port Harcourt or 500 in Kano, if there policy is rolled out internationally as a goodwill by government that we should address these as a policy plan of strategic by government, they the allocated bodies /resources swings to action.”

Lawal Yakubu noted that the policy implementation by the government can include to partner with NGOs in providing grants or loans for the private sector to roll out these public toilets and charge in a subsidized rates for people to ease themselves when they are pressed.

Also, he attached lack of awareness to open defecation, charging the  government to enlighten the citizens on the problems it causes to societies. “There should be concerted efforts by both the government, the private sectors and NGOs; there has to be a synergy or collaborative efforts.

“Although there are numerous impacts, the major one is the health impact, which is the most serious of all. Open defecation causes diseases such as cholera, typhoid and diarrhoea. All these three diseases are attributed to a lack of good hygiene. Lack of hygiene can be caused by open defecation, when people defecate openly either urine or faeces when there’s rain, the rain wash away those pieces and take it to our rivers or other water bodies even nearby wastes and anything other source of water will be contaminated and by so doing people taking those waters will be contaminated such as cholera, typhoid and diarrhea.

“The major impact of open defecation is health concerns (diseases). According to water and collaborative council about 124,000 children die annually under the age of five(5)as a result of diarrhea, because when people defecate the water flow e.g from city down to rural areas and children over there don’t have good water, they will take it and they’ll be dying, so according to these council, state that about 124,00 children die annually under the age of five because of diarrhea which is a major impact.”

Furthermore, Yakubu Lawal noted on the environmental impact, when residents in an area come across a mountain of faeces, either fresh or dried, emphasizing on how bad and non-hygienic it is, therefore polluting the environment and defacing the landscape.

Dr Lawal elucidating the consequences said the overall consequences is unhealthy society and an unproductive society, low productivity, low income, and there will be mockery of the city. “The consequences are directly related to the impacts. All those impacts are also consequences of open defecation. The five impacts are also consequences. They are correlated and hand in hand with the impacts.”

The director further narrated that the way forward and permanent solutions to prevent open defecation and urination in megacities are the provision of access, the government should either collaborate with the private sector and NGOs to provide affordable toilets within a distance of 300-500 meters, i.e., anywhere you move in a city within this meter, you should find public toilets.

“Make public toilets affordable. Those toilets should be affordable, though they can’t be free because we are more or less in a capitalist society now. So if there will be charges, let it be an affordable maximum of 50 naira. 100 naira and 200naira is exorbitant, many people on the street can’t afford them to ease themselves,” He concluded.

Lagos government officials speaks

In an interview with the Director, Sanitation Services Department. Lagos Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Dr. Hassan A. Sanuth said open defecation in Lagos had remained a challenge due to the daily influx of immigrants into the state.

The director explained the available infrastructure as while many failed to depart from the barbaric and cultural trait of their backgrounds.

According to him, Lagos State is addressing the menace through its 4(four) cardinal roadmap which are Human Behavior Change, Building the Infrastructural gap, Regular monitoring, standardization and regularization of public toilets, high level of Sanitation & hygiene. “Meanwhile, enforcement squads are deployed to high-traffic areas like Lagos Island, Oshodi, Ojodu Berger to arrest and sanction offenders,” Hassan said.

However, he maintained that the law and policies guiding the Anti-open defecation activity are; Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law 2017, Anti-open defecation road map 2020, Lagos State Resilience Strategies 2020, Lagos State Development Plan(LSDP) 2022- 2052 and WASH policy 2024.

Call to Action
Even while the Lagos government has a clear policy/road map to address open defecation in our cities without waiting for UNICEF, WHO and others to intervene, they should also be fighting poverty first as it is directly correlated with open defecation. Only poor people that can’t afford to go to the nearby hotels, paid public toilets or excuse someone to ease themselves can resort to open defecation.

Also, individuals within the Lagos metropolis should emulate good moral behaviour within themselves as enlightenment and synergy, collaboration from NGOs, private organizations to address these menaces can help curb open defecation.