Nigeria: Lagos Governorship Candidates Clash Over Waste Management, Defend Political Records

What the report says

Lagos governorship candidates used a Sunday debate in Lagos to clash over the state’s waste management problems and to defend their political records ahead of the 2027 election cycle. The discussion, reported by Premium Times and carried by AllAfrica, featured Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the African Democratic Congress, Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat of the All Progressives Congress, and Funso Doherty of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.

On waste, Rhodes-Vivour argued that Lagos has moved from an effective system to one that relies too heavily on collecting and dumping refuse, and he called for stronger involvement from local governments plus recycling and waste separation. Hamzat countered that the state needs more transfer and recovery facilities because of limited landfill space and the volume of waste generated. He said the government is working on new waste infrastructure, while Doherty said waste is piling up faster than it is being removed and raised concerns about pollution linked to the Olusosun dumpsite.

The candidates were also questioned about their experience and past conduct in office. Rhodes-Vivour pointed to his background in urban development and housing, while Hamzat highlighted his academic credentials and years in Lagos government. The debate also touched on the 2020 #EndSARS protests and the Lekki Toll Gate shooting, with Hamzat defending the state’s response and Rhodes-Vivour criticizing the treatment of protesters.

The article places the exchange against ongoing sanitation challenges in Africa’s largest city and follows earlier state efforts to address refuse collection delays and disposal capacity.