As Lagosians, we often lament about clogged drainages and flooded streets that burden our city, but it is time for some tough love. Even though we complain when the rains cause floods and chaos, we must be honest with ourselves and face some hard truths, – we’re part of the problem.

Those overflowing drainages and stagnant waters are not acts of God, neither are they the fault of whatever level of government we choose to blame, they’re the result of our bad habits. The recent flash floods are a stark reminder of why the horrid habit of turning drains into personal waste disposal units has to stop.

Drainages are for water, not for plastic bottles, food scraps, or anything else we deem ‘disposable’. This toxic practice clogs the system, causes floods, and creates a breeding ground in the state for diseases.

The nightmare of the past few days is a problem we cannot allow to continue, instead, we must work effectively and sustainably against it.

As resident of the beautiful city on water, we deserve a clean, healthy metropolis, but this vision does not belong tp the government alone, the burden largely rests on us to be responsible and it starts at home.

Here’s the call to action:

Use proper trash bins! Keep your waste contained, both at home and on the go. It is the responsible, enlightened thing to do

Embrace the power of ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’. The less waste we generate as a people, the less the possibility of it ending up clogging our drains.

Maintain your own drains. Clear any debris that might gather around your residence or place of work. As responsible citizens, it is a duty.

That said, individual action isn’t enough. We also need to hold our leaders accountable. To the Honourable Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, this may be the time to reinstate the compulsory weekend environmental sanitation even if it’s once every two months to complement the Thursday one we have for traders.

The reality is that a cleaner, greener Lagos is within reach, but we must embrace our shared responsibility. It’s time to ditch the drainage dumping habit. Let’s work together – for ourselves, for our children, for a healthier future. Together, we can keep our drainages flowing and our city thriving.

Eko Oni Baje oo

Teju Ajayi