Lagos Commissioner Highlights Coastal Challenges, Waste Management Reforms at Harvard Climate Panel

By: Babajide Fadoju

Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, has outlined the state’s strategies for combating climate change, coastal erosion, and waste management, stressing that Lagos, as a subnational government, faces unique challenges in balancing rapid urban growth with environmental sustainability.
Speaking at the panel session on “Rising Seas, Resilient Communities: Climate Adaptation Strategies in West Africa” at Harvard Business School on Saturday, Wahab noted that Lagos’ geographical location on the continental shelf, coupled with a population of over 22 million, exposes it to sea level rise, flash flooding, and ecosystem destruction.
The landmass of Lagos has grown from 3,577 to 4,050 square kilometres largely through reclamation of wetlands and lagoon water bodies for real estate. While development is important, we must insist on environmental impact assessments and drainage master plans before such reclamation projects, because unchecked human activity is a recipe for future crisis,” he said.
Wahab explained that Lagos is transitioning from a linear waste disposal system reliant on landfills to a climate-friendly, circular approach where waste is seen as a resource for wealth creation and energy generation. He disclosed that through regional collaboration, Lagos has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a waste management company in Accra, Ghana, to convert part of its 13,000 metric tonnes of daily solid waste into compost and recyclable products.

Within the next 18 months, this partnership will enable us to decommission one of our largest landfills, Olusosun, which has been at the heart of Lagos for decades. That is progressive collaboration at the subnational level,” Wahab added.
The Commissioner stressed that Lagos is enforcing environmental laws to protect mangroves and wetlands, prosecuting those who destroy natural buffers against flooding, and continuously sensitising residents against indiscriminate waste dumping in drains.
On climate adaptation, he recalled how communities such as Idotun and Okun Ajah have already been lost to sea level rise, while the Eko Atlantic City project, built on the former Bar Beach, now serves as a major sea defence protecting Victoria Island.
“Lagos lives with the reality of climate change daily. Once it rains for five hours, tidal lock prevents stormwater from discharging, leading to flash floods. Our government has therefore invested in resilient infrastructure, developed a climate adaptation and resilience plan, and initiated cross-border collaborations along the Gulf of Guinea to strengthen coastal protection. We must continue to turn challenges into opportunities,” Wahab said.

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