Days after Ikeja Record highlighted lingering questions over the timeline for the redevelopment of the Olusosun dumpsite, Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, has provided a fresh update and a clearer completion target.

Following an inspection of the project after the June monthly environmental sanitation exercise, Commissioner Wahab announced on June 27, 2026, that work at the Olusosun site is making what he described as “real progress”. He said the new transfer loading station is now on course for completion by the end of 2026.

According to the commissioner, the project’s contractor, Zoomlion Nigeria, has committed to round-the-clock operations in a bid to meet the year-end deadline. As part of its corporate social responsibility, Zoomlion Nigeria will also rehabilitate the 1.2-kilometre access road leading into the Olusosun dumpsite.

When completed, the transfer loading station is expected to handle up to 2,500 metric tonnes of waste each day, transporting it to the material recovery facility in Ikorodu.

The project forms part of the Lagos State Government’s broader effort to move away from the traditional “pick-and-dump” waste management system by expanding recycling, waste-to-energy, and composting initiatives.

“In the interim we are procuring more compactors, exploring EV compactors, and introducing tricycle compactors that can navigate narrow inner roads and lanes that PSP operators currently struggle to reach. Reforms take time but we are fixing what is on ground while building the bigger picture,” Commissioner Wahab said.

The latest announcement offers the clearest completion timeline yet for one of the state’s flagship waste management projects.

A history of failed promises

In June 2026, Ikeja Record reported that uncertainty continued to surround the project’s timeline.

@ikejarecordAs waste complaints mount across Lagos, questions remain over the timeline for the transformation of Olusosun landfill. In May 2025, Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said the Olusosun dumpsite in Ojota would be converted into a transfer loading station within 18 months. The Commissioner repeated the 18-month timeline in November 2025. In a post on his X account on June 20, 2026, Commissioner Wahab said construction at Olusosun and Solous III was ongoing and that the transition target was now six months. It remains unclear whether the six-month target replaces the earlier 18-month timeline or refers to another phase of the project. Ikeja Record reached out to the Ministry for clarification but was yet to receive a response as of the time of publishing this story. ✍🏾: Omon Okhuevbie 📹: Omon Okhuevbie 💻: Solomon Elusoji This video was made possible by our readers, advertisers and donors. To support independent, local journalism, you can subscribe at ikejarecord.com, advertise with Ikeja Record or donate your likes and shares. Thank you. #ikejarecord #olusosunlandfill #lagosnews #trendingnow

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The redevelopment plan was first announced on May 22, 2025, when Commissioner Wahab unveiled a partnership with Zoomlion Nigeria to transform the Olusosun dumpsite into a transfer loading station. At the time, he said the project would take 18 months to complete.

The commissioner repeated the 18-month timeline on November 26, 2025.

In December 2025, a Lagos State Government official told Ikeja Record that the 18-month countdown would not begin until the concessionaire had officially broken ground on the project.

On June 20, 2026, Commissioner Wahab, while defending the state’s waste management efforts, said construction of the transfer loading station was already underway and that the transition would take six months.

It was not immediately clear whether the six-month target replaced the previously announced 18-month timeline or referred to a separate phase of the project.

The latest pledge is one of several commitments by successive Lagos State administrations to rehabilitate or redevelop the Olusosun dumpsite.

The pattern stretches back more than two decades. In 2003, the Lagos State Government announced plans to refurbish Olusosun for environmental reasons and awarded the project to Julius Berger, but no significant work followed.

In 2014, LAWMA proposed transforming the dumpsite into a golf course within ten years, a plan that was later abandoned.

Under the Cleaner Lagos Initiative in 2017, the state said the site would be closed and redeveloped into a bus park, but that proposal never materialised.

In 2021, the Sanwo-Olu administration said Olusosun would close “in about two years”. That deadline also passed without explanation. ✚

Telecommunications company, MTN Nigeria, has begun work on the redevelopment of the Obalende under-bridge area in Lagos.

The project aims to transform the space into a modern transport hub known as the Y’ello Bus Park.

The Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources officially handed over the site to MTN on April 15, 2026. The redevelopment is expected to last for 21 weeks.

Plans for the project include an organised transport park, over 60 public toilet fixtures, kiosks, a recycling drop-off station, and a road camp for LAWMA sweepers and security agencies.

When Ikeja Record visited the site on June 1, 2026, construction work was ongoing in the area.

Ikeja Record reached out to MTN Nigeria regarding the progress of the project but did not receive a response as of the time of publishing this story.

Meanwhile, Ikeja Record also observed that the McGregor Channel, which runs directly beneath the bridge, remains partially clogged with refuse.

Squatter activity was also still visible under the bridge, with daily commercial activities continuing in the area.

READ ALSO: Lagos announces plans for Obalende underbridge after Ikeja Record report

READ ALSO: After Ikeja Record’s report, Lagos Government begins cleanup of McGregor Channel

READ ALSO: Again, after Ikeja Record’s report, Lagos Government cleans up McGregor Channel

The development comes months after the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, announced an immediate quit notice for squatters occupying the Obalende under-bridge and motor park area on January 21, 2026.

The publication contacted Commissioner Wahab concerning the continued squatter activity in the area. No response was received at the time of filing this report. ✚

@ikejarecordMTN Nigeria has started work on the redevelopment of the Obalende under-bridge area. The project is expected to transform the space into a modern transport hub known as the Y’ello Bus Park. The Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources handed over the site to MTN on April 15, 2026. The project is expected to last for 21 weeks. The proposed design includes a transport park, public toilets, kiosks, and a recycling station. When Ikeja Record visited the site on June 1, 2026, construction work was ongoing. However, the McGregor Channel under the bridge was still partially clogged with refuse. Meanwhile, squatter activity and commercial sales continued in the area. This comes months after Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, announced a quit notice for squatters in the area. Ikeja Record reached out to the commissioner for comments but did not receive a response as of the time of publishing this update. *The video says we visited on May 1. That's an error. We visited on June 1, 2026. ✍🏾: Omon Okhuevbie 📹: Omon Okhuevbie 💻: Solomon Elusoji This video was made possible by our readers, advertisers and donors. To support independent, local journalism, you can subscribe at ikejarecord.com, advertise with Ikeja Record or donate your likes and shares. Thank you. #yellobusparkobalende #ikejarecord #lagosnews

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*The above video says we visited on May 1. That’s an error. We visited on June 1, 2026.

The Lagos State Parking Authority (LASPA) has released a list of 200 roads in Ikeja ahead of its proposed on-street parking pilot scheme expected to commence in July 2026.

The disclosure was made in response to an inquiry by Ikeja Record following LASPA’s recent announcement that Lagos would begin charging motorists for parking on designated streets before the end of 2026.

According to the agency, several roads across Ikeja have been marked for the pilot scheme.

The selected roads include: Abisogun Leigh, Bayo Ajayi, Obasa, Bamishile, MKO Abiola Garden, Assibifi, CIPM, Amara Olu, NERDC, Otunba Jobi Fele, Elephant Cement way, Ashabi Cole, Dr. Nurudeen Olowopopo, WEMPCO Road and Guinness Road.

LASPA said the selected roads are commercially viable and wide enough to accommodate parking spaces without obstructing traffic flow.

“Technically, the roads a…

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Ire Aderinokun is Nigeria’s first female Google Developer Expert and has been ranked as one of the country’s top programmers, according to GitHub, the world’s largest developers platform.

She was one of 50 women recognized by TechCabal in its representation of Lagos’ tech women. The Guardian has described her as an “inspiring tech queen”. Nairametrics praised Ire for giving back to the local tech community by sponsoring women on Udacity nanodegree programs.

Ire is also a founding member of the Feminist Coalition, one of the key progressive actors during Nigeria’s landmark #EndSARS protest.

In January, Ire announced on her X page that she was creating a personal curriculum to study three subjects: Nigerian political history, non-Abrahamic religions and the Yoruba language.

I reached out via email to learn more about her interest in the topics and she agreed to an interview.

Our conversation took place on Google Meet. The transcript below has bee…

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While Lagos continues to grapple with one of its most persistent urban problems, two residential estates in the city’s Ikeja axis have quietly built working solutions to waste management.

Omole Phase 1 and Magodo Phase 2 stand out across the city for their clean streets, organised layouts, and functional waste collection systems.

Visiting both estates, Ìkẹjà Record found that what sets them apart is not exceptional government attention, but something harder to replicate quickly: community structure.

In Lagos, waste management is officially administered by the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), operating in partnership with private sector operators and residents. That same arrangement exists in both Magodo and Omole — but with a critical difference.

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From April 25, Lagos residents will be expected to observe environmental sanitation on the last Saturday of every month, between 6:30am and 8:30am.

This is according to the Lagos state government.

However, it remains unclear whether or how movement will be restricted within that period.

In 2016, a court scrapped the state’s environmental sanitation program for violating citizens’ fundamental right to movement.

What, then, is the government doing differently this time?

How is the government ensuring that citizen’s fundamental rights are protected while still promoting a culture of environmental sanitation?

We spoke to the Commissioner for Environment, Tokunbo Wahab. Watch our reporting below. ✚

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In late 2025, Shoprite, a major retail supermarket chain in Nigeria, denied reports that it had shut down operations in Lagos.

At the time, the company said it was undergoing a restructuring process and that its stores were open and fully operational.

However, by March 2026, things look different on the ground.

The Shoprite outlet at Ikeja City Mall was under lock and key when Ikeja Record visited recently.

But what does this closure mean for businesses inside the mall? Considering Shoprite’s brand appeal and commerce pull, is its closure affecting foot traffic at the mall?

We spoke to workers and businesses about their observations. Watch the full video below. ✚

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Earlier this year, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority announced it has sanctioned 19 of its officers over misconduct.

According to the agency’s General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, the disciplinary measures were taken by the Lagos State Civil Service Commission.

However, LASTMA’s role in the process remained unclear.

To find out how the agency ensures its officers – who are ubiquitous on Lagos streets – are properly trained and equipped for the job, Ikeja Record’s co-editor, Omon Okhuevbie, recently spoke to Mr. Bakare-Oki.

The interview transcript reproduced here was edited for clarity and brevity.

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On January 1, 2026, a new federal tax regime kicked in across Nigeria.

The Federal Government has argued that the laws that underpin the new tax regime – the Nigeria Tax Law, Nigeria Tax Administration Law, Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Law, and Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Law – will help to curb double taxation, expand the tax net and strengthen tax compliance.

However, the implementation of the new laws has come under public scrutiny, as civil society groups have raised concerns about discrepancies in the content of the gazetted law.

The Nigeria Labour Congress has also warned that the new laws will further impoverish low-income workers, although the nation’s tax czar, Taiwo Oyedele, has insisted the new regime actually benefits the poor and small businesses.

To understand the implications of the new tax law for workers and businesses in Lagos, Ikeja Record’s co-editor, Omon Okhuevbie, spoke to two financial experts.

Together, the…

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When we secured support from the Nigeria Media Innovation Program to launch Ikeja Record in late 2022, one of the first persons I reached out to for advice was Victor Ekwealor.

Ekwealor is an award-winning journalist who has led two of Nigeria’s most consequential tech publications, Techpoint and TechCabal.

He is also a serial tech entrepreneur. In 2025, the pop-culture publication, Zikoko, listed Ekwealor as one of the most influential Nigerians for founding Clarus, a growth firm for venture-backed African startups.

As part of my own ongoing quest to figure out what it means to be Yoruba, I spoke to Ekwealor recently via phone (He does not identify as Yoruba but speaks and understands the language).

The transcript of our conversation published below was edited for clarity.

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The Lagos State Government has announced plans to redesign the underbridge and motor park area beneath the Obalende bridge, following renewed public attention on the condition of the McGregor channel.

As part of our ongoing #CleanUpLagos series, Ikeja Record recently returned to the McGregor Channel beneath the Obalende Bridge to assess the current state of the canal

During our visit, water was still flowing through the channel, but debris was gradually piling up again in several sections, raising concerns about the sustainability of previous cleanup efforts.

On Tuesday, January 21, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, announced that the state has issued an immediate quit notice to squatters occupying the Obalende underbridge and motor park ar…

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The Lagos State Government has issued what appear to be conflicting signals over the timeline for the clean-up and redevelopment of the Olusosun landfill, one of Africa’s largest dumpsites.

Public statements by state officials suggest an 18-month completion window, but it remains unclear when that countdown actually begins.

In May 2025, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, announced a partnership with ZoomLion Nigeria to build a Transfer Loading Station at Olusosun. He said the project would be completed within 18 months. However, in November 2025, the Commissioner again referenced an 18-month timeline, despite the fact that several months had already passed since the initial announcement.

In a post on his official X account, the Commissioner said Olusosun and Solous 3 would transition into modern Transfer Loading Stations “over the next 18 months”, raising questions about whether the timeline had been reset or delayed.

Whe…

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In April, Tomi Adesina wrote about traffic gridlock in Lagos. She called on all Lagosians to join hands in demanding and creating public infrastructure that “serves human dignity rather than undermining it”.

Then, last September, Tomi’s Lagos apartment was flooded after heavy rains.

“I wrote about systemic failures and the endurance of Lagos residents who navigate broken infrastructure daily,” she wrote on her blog after the flooding. “I had no idea I was writing my own future.”

In response, Tomi, who is a product strategist at Paystack, called for more Lagosians to document their flooding experience. She also created a form for fellow citizens to connect with one another and engage the government.

“Building the Lagos we need requires reimagining the relationship between government and citizenry,” Tomi blogged.

Recently, I spoke to Tomi via Google Meet. The transcript of our conversation, edited for clarity and brevity, is published below.

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Tolu Daniel is one of the most prolific Yoruba essayists writing today in the English language.

His essays have appeared in top quality journals, including Catapult.co, Olongo Africa, and Lolwe.

In June 2025, he won the Isele Nonfiction Prize for “Notes of a Nonresident Alien”.

He is currently a PhD student in Comparative Literature at Washington University in St Louis, U.S.

I spoke to Tolu recently via phone. The transcript of our conversation published below was edited for clarity.

READ ALSO: Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún on what it means to be Yoruba

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With Nigeria’s core inflation rising by 20.3% in August 2025, the cost of living keeps climbing and many Ikeja residents are turning to cheaper stores for relief.

For shoppers like Alice Pelumi in Iju-Ishaga, that store is Bokku Supermart.

“Their products are cheap and service is fast,” she told Ikeja Record.

The supermarket chain opened its first store in Nigeria in 2022, introducing a low-cost retail model that quickly caught the attention of many Ikeja residents.

In pidgin English, the word ‘Bokku’ loosely means surplus, a reflection of the store’s promise to make essential goods more affordable.

Bokku’s stores are modest in size and focus on stocking items such as bread, milk, rice, butter, and soft drinks.

The store also markets to wholesalers but limits how much any one entity can purchase…

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There are few people in the world who have done more to preserve and promote the Yoruba language than Kola Túbọ̀sún. So when I started to think about interviewing Yoruba intellectuals on what it means to be Yoruba today, his name was top on my list.

I first interviewed Túbọ̀sún in 2015, when he was fundraising for Yorubaname.com, a project that has now documented the etymology of more than 10,000 Yoruba names.

Since then he has won the Premio Ostana prize for writing in the mother tongue, consulted for Google to create a ‘Nigerian accent’, and completed a Chevening research fellowship at the British Library.

Our conversation took place over email and spanned a couple of weeks. The transcript below was edited for organisation and clarity.

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In August 2025, hundreds of people living with disabilities blocked the roads leading to the Murtala Muhammed airport in protest.

The demonstration was led by comedian and broadcaster Kelly Egbere, popularly known as Kellyblind, in response to the closure of the 67-year-old Farmcraft Centre for the Blind in Isheri-Olofin, Alimosho.

For parents like Esther Oboli, whose 14-year-old son is blind, the closure was devastating. She told The Independent newspaper that her son had previously attended Ketu Special Children’s School until it too was shut down without explanation, leaving parents to care for their children at home.

“The same fate has also befallen Farmcraft Centre,” she said. “You don’t want beggars on the streets, yet you shut down their schools, making it impossible for them to live a b…

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When we started Ikeja Record in 2023, our goal was to report Lagos with new lenses. But we did not just want to tell the city’s stories, we wanted to take a collaborative, community-guided approach.

In listening to feedback across our social media channels, we discovered that while Lagos boasts one of the longest coastlines in West Africa, not many residents – and visitors – know enough about its beach offerings.

Our beach guide is designed to help fill some of that knowledge gap. Focusing on beaches in three major areas – Elegushi, Tarkwa Bay and Okun Ajah – we have attempted to make a compass that can help you navigate Lagos’ aquatic splendour.

For each beach, we provide information on where you can find them, what they offer, how they operate, the safety measures they have in place, and their digital presence. Our reviews are aimed to be constructive and informed by our reporters’ visits to the beaches, combined with desktop research.

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A week after Ikeja Record reported on the stagnant, debris-filled state of the McGregor Channel beneath the Obalende bridge, the Lagos State Government has moved in to clean up the site.

In July 2025, Ikeja Record revisited the channel following an earlier report published in March.

The return visit showed that the channel had become clogged again. 

On August 3, 2025, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, shared a video via his official X account showing workers clearing the waste.

“Ongoing routine maintenance and desilting of McGregor Channel, Obalende under-bridge,” the commissioner said.

@ikejarecordIn March 2025, Ikeja Record reported on the dire state of the McGregor Channel in Obalende. At the time, the government responded. But when we went back again in July 2025, not much has changed. The channel remains overwhelmed with plastic and solid waste. What is the way forward for McGregor Channel? Let us know in the comment section. #CleanupLagos #IkejaRecord #LagosDoesNotStinkItIsDirty #lagosnews

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Pattern of repeated cleanups

The McGregor Channel has been the focus of multiple cleanup efforts by the Lagos State Government over the past year.

On March 19, Ikeja Record posted a video on TikTok and Instagram showing the channel blocked with plastics and other solid waste. The video received over 100,000 views and hundreds of comments within 48 hours.

By March 23, Commissioner Wahab announced that the state had commenced a cleanup of the channel as part of efforts to reduce flood risk ahead of the rainy season.

The elected officials will lead the state’s 20 local government areas (LGAs) and 37 local council development areas (LCDAs) for the next four years.

At the swearing-in ceremony held in Ikeja, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu urged the newly elected leaders to prioritise service delivery, inclusive governance, and community engagement across all levels of local administration.

Below is the full list of chairpersons:

Local Government Areas (LGAs):

• Bariga – Bukola Adedeji

• Ajeromi-Ifelodun – Olamilekan Akindipe

• Alimosho – Ibrahim Akinpelu

• Ibeju Lekki – Sesan Olowa

• Kosofe – Moyosore Ogunlewe

• Badagry – Babatunde Hunpe

• Mushin – Tunbosun Aruwe

• Oshodi-Isolo – Kehinde Oloyede

• Ojo – Muibat Rufai

• Ikeja – Akeem Dauda

• Surulere – Suleiman Yusuf

• Ifako-Ijaiye – Usman Hamzat

• Amuwo-Odofin – Sanusi Ismail

• Ikorodu – Adedayo Ladega

• Epe – Sura Animashaun

• Lagos Island – Taiwo Oyekan

• Eti-Osa – Adeola Adetoro

• Apapa – Senbajo Idowu

• Agege – Ba…

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