VIDEO: Lekki residents may be drinking contaminated ‘shit water’ - Lagos govt

The Lagos State Government has issued a stark warning to residents in the Lekki axis, stating that many who rely on boreholes for water supply are likely consuming water contaminated with human waste.

Mahmood Adegbite, the Permanent Secretary of the Office of Drainage Services and Water Resources, made this revelation during a recent stakeholders’ meeting, raising urgent concerns about public health and sanitation in the area.

“Everyone digging borehole within the Lekki axis is probably drinking what I will call ‘shit water’,” Adegbite said, referring to the growing risk of untreated sewage seeping into underground water sources.

According to the official, this contamination is due to inadequate wastewater treatment systems and poor urban planning in rapidly developing neighbourhoods such as Lekki.

He assured residents that the government has plans in place to address the problem.

“If we are able to treat all the waste water within this axis, which we have plans for, we should be able to also eradicate any form of disease that might result as a result of non-treatment of our waste,” Adegbite stated.

He further highlighted the broader environmental challenges confronting Lagos, especially with regards to flooding.

He noted the unusually heavy rainfall during what should be the seasonal “August break,” attributing it to complex environmental dynamics.

“Yesterday, it rained heavily, which is unusual because this is supposed to be August break. However, we started having it because of a lot of complex issues,” he explained.

Despite significant government investment, Adegbite admitted that efforts to curb flooding remain insufficient.

“Basically, in terms of flooding, despite the fact that we have committed so much, we still need a lot to do in that space.”

The statement comes as Lagos continues to battle rapid urbanisation, poor drainage infrastructure, and rising health risks from environmental neglect.