By Richard Benjamin
The Lagos Civil Society Participation for Development (LACSOP) has urged residents to adopt sustainable environmental practices and take greater responsibility for waste management to help mitigate climate change and reduce flooding in Lagos on Friday, July 24, 2026.
The Executive Secretary of LACSOP, Mrs Dede Kadiri, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), saying government policies and community action were both necessary to address environmental challenges.
Kadiri said LACSOP was established to drive development, amplify citizens’ voices and promote public participation in governance processes that add value to society.
She identified the Citizens-Led Accountability Mechanism (CLAIM) project as one of the organisation’s key focus areas.
“There are several issues we must consider. First is the single-use plastic ban, a policy introduced by the Lagos State Government.
“Then there is the flooding issue and the climatic concerns we are experiencing across the state and the world. We need to start taking actions and embrace practices that help the environment and help in the fight against climate change,” she said.
According to her, government must put the right policies in place and ensure enforcement, while communities must also take the initiative.
“One of the biggest concerns in Lagos State is waste management. It is such a huge issue, and through the CLAIM project, we are engaging communities on the problem,” she said.
Kadiri disclosed that the CLAIM project commenced in 2025 with a pilot programme in Apapa and Lagos Island Local Government Areas.
She said the choice of the two areas was deliberate because they were coastal, historic and strategic in terms of private sector participation and community engagement.
“We want to engage communities to proffer solutions to their own problems. That is why we started with Apapa and Lagos Island as pilot areas,” she said.
On the progress of the project, Kadiri said LACSOP had recorded some successes while also facing challenges relating to politics, awareness, knowledge and understanding.
She said LACSOP members had been involved in training, discussions and advocacy, adding that the organisation could now engage up to 200 civil society organisations.
Kadiri said the group worked with various civil society organisations to enter communities, train residents and empower them to carry out environmental activities.
“They have carried out clean-up exercises and organised themselves for waste management. What is left is for government to come and evacuate the refuse.
“Sometimes, they collaborate with local governments for waste evacuation in their communities. If we can do this on a small scale, we can expand and replicate it across Lagos State and Nigeria. We must find solutions to our problems,” she said.
Kadiri stressed that government could not solve environmental challenges alone.
“We cannot wait for government alone. Lagos is not just large in geographical size, but also in population. The sooner we take responsibility for the waste we generate, the earlier we can tackle climate change problems, especially flooding,” she said.
She said LACSOP was also promoting waste-to-wealth initiatives through the circular economy by mobilising community groups, youth groups, traditional rulers, private sector players and market associations.
“Our expectation is that these small groups will not only pick up waste, but also generate income from it,” she said.
Also speaking, Mrs Bunmi Tejumola, Community Officer for the CLAIM Project in Lagos Island, said the pilot programme was supported by Bread for the World.
She said the programme had six clusters on Lagos Island and targeted youths aged 18 to 35, including Persons With Disabilities (PWDs).
Tejumola said the programme had educated participants on climate change, waste sorting, recycling and the economic value of waste.
She said participants had become more conscious of what they disposed of and where they disposed of it after receiving training on waste management.
According to her, the project also encouraged residents to separate different types of waste at home and within their communities.
Tejumola said irregular waste evacuation remained a major challenge, noting that waste left unattended for long periods could return to drains and contribute to flooding.
She said participants had carried out advocacy to local governments and relevant departments, leading to the provision of waste evacuation vehicles in some areas.
