Lagos Orders Banks and Eateries to Open Toilets to the Public

Commissioner Tokunbo Wahab says state alone cannot meet sanitation needs

The Lagos State government has ordered filling stations, banks, eateries, and other public-facing businesses to make their restrooms available to the public, as part of an aggressive push to end open defecation in Africa’s most populous city.

Environment and water resources commissioner Tokunbo Wahab announced the directive on Saturday, saying the state has deployed 1,710 public toilets but that government effort alone cannot meet the sanitation needs of Lagos’s rapidly growing population. The state needs private sector cooperation, he said, if it wants to make a meaningful dent in the open defecation crisis.

The order is straightforward: any business that serves the public must keep its restrooms accessible. No more “customers only” signs on toilet doors. No more directing people to nearby bushes because the facilities are locked. The state is treating this as a public health emergency, not a suggestion.

Lagos has long struggled with sanitation infrastructure that has failed to keep pace with its population, now estimated at well over 20 million. Many neighborhoods, especially in informal settlements, have no access to clean toilets, and open defecation remains a persistent problem along highways, under bridges, and in markets.

The 1,710 public toilets deployed so far cover only a fraction of the state’s 57 local council development areas. Wahab acknowledged this gap, noting that the state’s own facilities are insufficient without private participation. The directive effectively turns every bank branch, petrol station, and fast-food restaurant into a potential public convenience.

Business owners have had mixed reactions. Some have welcomed the move, saying they already allow public access. Others worry about maintenance costs, security, and the practical challenge of keeping facilities clean when foot traffic multiplies. The state has not yet outlined any financial support mechanism for businesses that comply.

Open defecation is not just a Lagos problem. UNICEF estimates that over 46 million Nigerians still practice it nationwide. But Lagos, as the commercial capital and a city of migrants from every part of the country, faces the visibility and public health consequences more acutely than most.

The question now is enforcement. Lagos has a history of ambitious sanitation directives that wither without follow-through. If the state wants this one to stick, it will need more than press conferences; it will need inspectors, penalties, and a willingness to fine non-compliant businesses.

Sources: Premium Times, The Sun Nigeria, TheTimes Nigeria, NgGossips, TimesNG