A former National Chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Environmental Engineers, (NIEE) and Chairman Board of Fellows NIEE, Engr. Babatunde Oshodi, has spoken about the sewerage systems in Lagos State.
TOP MEDIA reports that speaking on Wednesday, May 17, during the NIEE, Lagos State Chapter’s May Technical Session, Engr. Oshodi insinuated that Lagos is all built up, therefore running pipes across the state to a central sewage system might not be easy any longer.
Although sewering is the best system that is used globally, Lagos is all built up and it is difficult to start sewering it, Engr Oshodi said.
He stated that at the moment, managing faecal sludge should be the priority — and not how to sewer Lagos.
Sharing his expert view on the topic, ‘Faecal Sludge Management (FSM)’, the former NIEE helmsman charged his colleagues to be inventive with a view to managing faecal sludge.
Sewering is the act of constructing or replacing a sewer system for a new development or neighbourhood.
“Sewering Lagos is out of the books, and that’s gone forever,” Oshodi said. “So whatever we can do, whatever we can learn from wherever we can learn, how to manage faecal sludge, that is the way to go.”
‘Lagos Govt Need to Give More Attention to Issue of Management of Faecal Sludge in State’ – Engr. Oshodi
The ex-NIEE boss continued: “And so, I would just encourage the Chairman (NIEE, Lagos) and his excos to continue to do all that can be done so that the Lagos government can appreciate the fact that they have to give more attention to the issue of management of faecal sludge in the state.
“We have no other choice; we are not like Abuja that is blessed with planned central system. So we have to live with what we have and do the best with it.”
“NIEE Needs to Take a Front Row to Ensure That Faecal Sludge Management Is Achieved” – Engr Majolagbe
In his remarks, the Chairman of the NIEE in Lagos State, Engr. Yusuf Majolagbe, spoke on the goal of FSM. According to Engr. Majolagbe, the overall target of FSM is the protection of public and environmental health.
Providing information on water pollution in Lagos state, Engr. Majolagbe stated that Lagos state generates 2.2 million cubic meters of untreated domestic wastewater daily, “which doesn’t bode
well for the state”.
He pointed out a World Health Organisation (WHO) data which said 88 per cent of diarrhea cases are attributable to factors essentially originating from poor management of excreta disposal.
“Lagos state is working hard to see that faecal sludge management is achieved. As such, NIEE needs to take a front row in drive for the achievement,” Engr. Majolagbe said.
A facilitator from The Netherlands, Eva Mary, the Program Coordinator, Faecal Sludge Management Alliance, also shared her thoughts during the session.
