Efforts to eliminate open defecation and improve sanitation in Lagos will receive a significant boost on Saturday, July 25, as fellows of the Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy (LJLA) embark on a 10-kilometre awareness walk to promote cleaner public spaces, better hygiene practices and sustainable waste management across the state.
The walk, which will run from Allen Junction to the LAMATA Motor Park in Ojota, forms part of the fellows’ flagship capstone project, “Pee-Poo to Power Lagos,” an innovative initiative aimed at tackling open defecation and indiscriminate urination through the conversion of human waste into clean energy using biodigester technology.
Speaking with journalists in Lagos, the Team Lead of the project, Dr Bayode Oke-Thomas, said the initiative emerged from months of research, stakeholder engagement and community consultations, which identified poor sanitation practices as a major public health and environmental challenge confronting the state.
According to him, the project combines modern sanitation infrastructure with a circular economy model that converts human waste into biogas while promoting behavioural change through sustained public enlightenment and advocacy campaigns.
Oke-Thomas explained that the team has proposed the establishment of a pilot sanitation hub at a major transport terminal where upgraded public toilets would provide safe, accessible and hygienic facilities while generating renewable energy from waste.
Co-Lead of the awareness walk, Shalom Ernest, said the exercise is intended to raise public awareness about the health and environmental risks associated with open defecation and indiscriminate urination, while encouraging residents to take greater responsibility for environmental cleanliness.
He noted that the 10-kilometre walk symbolises the long distances many residents often travel in search of decent public toilet facilities, highlighting the urgent need for greater investment in sanitation infrastructure across Lagos.
Ernest disclosed that participants would assemble at Allen Junction before proceeding to Ojota, where the event would culminate in the screening of a documentary highlighting the conception, sustainability framework and expansion prospects of the project.
He added that medical personnel, security operatives and emergency response teams would be on ground throughout the exercise to ensure the safety and wellbeing of participants.
Also speaking, Oluwatosin Alabi described Pee-Poo to Power Lagos as more than a sanitation initiative, saying it represents a movement aimed at changing public perceptions about waste and demonstrating how environmental challenges can be transformed into economic and energy opportunities.
Alabi commended government agencies, development partners, engineering professionals, media organisations and community stakeholders for their support, while calling for stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors to scale the initiative across Lagos State.
The fellows expressed confidence that the project aligns with the Lagos State Government’s vision of building cleaner, healthier and more sustainable communities through improved sanitation, renewable energy solutions and responsible environmental practices.