Health

17 Convicted for Open Defecation in Lagos

Published

8 months ago

February 21, 2026

Q Tinny

Seventeen individuals convicted by Lagos court for open defecation, fined ₦40,000 each or one month jail, as LAWMA reinforces sanitation laws

Seventeen individuals have been convicted and fined for urinating and defecating in public spaces, following arrest by the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), the Lagos State Government announced on its verified X handle on Saturday.

Also read: LAWMA Delivers Affordable, Reliable Waste Services in FESTAC

The offenders appeared before the Magistrate Court, Bolade in Oshodi, where each was sentenced to pay ₦40,000 or face one month imprisonment.

“These acts have never been acceptable, as they degrade public spaces and deface our megacity,” the state government said, condemning the behaviour as harmful to Lagos’ image.

Authorities reaffirmed their commitment to strict enforcement of environmental sanitation laws to ensure cleaner, healthier public spaces.

Residents were urged to take personal responsibility for maintaining their surroundings.

The government emphasised that enforcing hygiene is a shared civic duty, underscoring ongoing campaigns to reduce open defecation across the city.

The Lagos State Government noted that such convictions serve as a deterrent, reinforcing the consequences for defying sanitation regulations.

Also read: LAWMA Supports Injured Sweepers, Bereaved Families with Welfare Cheques

LAWMA continues to monitor public areas and collaborate with the judiciary to clamp down on offenders.

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Health

FG Approves ₦45.08bn for Disease Detection Systems at Five Airports

Published

14 hours ago

October 29, 2026

Mariam Balogun

The Federal Government has approved ₦45.08 billion for the deployment of an integrated biosecurity and disease surveillance system at five international airports across Nigeria.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this after Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu at the State House in Abuja.

According to the minister, the project will be implemented through a 20-year public-private partnership with the BioHealth Consortium. It is aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s capacity to detect and respond swiftly to emerging infectious disease threats.

The initiative will cover airports in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu. The technologies to be deployed include aircraft wastewater surveillance, air and surface sampling, and specialised pathogen detection systems.

Pate said the surveillance network would monitor a range of potentially dangerous pathogens, improve coordination among relevant agencies, and strengthen health security at Nigeria’s borders.

The minister also provided an update on the country’s Ebola situation, confirming that the patient diagnosed in October has recovered.

He added that contact tracing and other containment measures were still ongoing to prevent further spread.