Across the South-West, major roads have been invaded by refuse heaps. The dumps of waste have gradually become common sites. Here is a panoramic review of the situation.
Major streets in Akure, Ondo State capital, are under siege from mountains of refuse, with residents battling unbearable stench, blocked drainage and rising fears of disease outbreaks.
The worst-hit areas are Arakale, Ijoka, Oke Aro, Aule, Orita Obele and Odopetu Market behind the popular commercial car park on Arakale Road. In these locations, heaps of garbage line both major roads and inner streets. Stagnant wastewater and foul odours have become part of daily life for traders, commuters and households.
Findings show the situation is fueled by weak enforcement of environmental regulations, inadequate waste infrastructure, insufficient evacuation trucks and a growing reliance on informal disposal methods.
Many households still resort to open dumping, roadside disposal, burning or burying waste within residential compounds instead of subscribing to approved collection services.
In markets like Odopetu, traders have blocked canals with waste and set up stalls directly in front of refuse heaps.
To improve sanitation, the state government enforces a monthly environmental sanitation exercise on the last Saturday of every month, between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. Officials of the Ministry of Environment and the Ondo State Waste Management Authority, OSWMA, are deployed to monitor compliance and sanction offenders.
However, investigations show the monthly exercise has not addressed waste generated daily by thousands of households, markets and businesses. Drains cleared during the exercise are often re-clogged because evacuated refuse sometimes remains on roadsides for days before collection trucks arrive.
Private waste operators now complement government in estates, Government Reservation Areas and high-income neighbourhoods where residents can afford regular charges. But densely populated communities continue to grapple with irregular collection and indiscriminate dumping.
