₦airaland Forum

AmazingELixir:


But the menace of open defecation is perpetuated mostly by miscreants , homeless people and touts with no access to smart phones or worse still don't know how to use one...how will this initiative benefit them.

Rather app to tell the government where dirts are and shortputs to go there and pack it than tell someone who is not blind without data of 2mb where to sheet. Lol money about to be deposited get ready guess and use it well this time.

naptu2:
You are not important enough to interest me and your opinion means nothing to me.

You also cannot tell me what I can or cannot do. I will do what I want to do and there's nothing you can do about that.

I see how you reverence and appropriate to yourself like you call the shots, Interestingly you're inconsequential in the scheme of things.

Ok bye.

It looks like the funny guy is still trying to get my attention. Time to send him back to where he belongs. The amnesty is over.

That guy's trick was very simple, to paint a picture in people's minds that the only people that need public toilets are uneducated and homeless people. Nairaland itself has shown us that this is a lie.

On Nairaland's home page we have had pictures of foreigners that parked on the roadside to urinate, we have had people in motorcades (with security escorts) that parked on the roadside to urinate.

These people will benefit from more public toilets and the ability to see where an available toilet is from their phone.

But I know that these are not serious arguments. The only reason why some people are arguing is because of politics and because it's election season. I don't have time for that.


Foreign Man Filmed Peeing On The Road In Lagos State Nigeria
https://www.nairaland.com/6546439/foreign-man-filmed-peeing-road


White Man Urinating In Public In Lagos (photos)
https://www.nairaland.com/2788775/white-man-urinating-public-lagos


White Man Urinates On The Road In Warri (photo)
https://www.nairaland.com/3057876/white-man-urinates-road-warri


Nigerian Governor Stops Convoy To Urinate By The Roadside (video)
https://www.nairaland.com/8620742/nigerian-governor-stops-convoy-urinate

naptu2:
That guy's trick was very simple, to paint a picture in people's minds that the only people that need public toilets are uneducated and homeless people. Nairaland itself has shown us that this is a lie.

On Nairaland's home page we have had pictures of foreigners that parked on the roadside to urinate, we have had people in motorcades (with security escorts) that parked on the roadside to urinate.

These people will benefit from more public toilets and the ability to see where an available toilet is from their phone.

But I know that these are not serious arguments. The only reason why some people are arguing is because of politics and because it's election season. I don't have time for that.


Foreign Man Filmed Peeing On The Road In Lagos State Nigeria
https://www.nairaland.com/6546439/foreign-man-filmed-peeing-road


White Man Urinating In Public In Lagos (photos)
https://www.nairaland.com/2788775/white-man-urinating-public-lagos


White Man Urinates On The Road In Warri (photo)
https://www.nairaland.com/3057876/white-man-urinates-road-warri


Nigerian Governor Stops Convoy To Urinate By The Roadside (video)
https://www.nairaland.com/8620742/nigerian-governor-stops-convoy-urinate

Only politicians and their supporters lack common sense in matters like this... Any sensible person knows the cheat code of walking responsibly into banks restaurants and even public work spaces to use their toilets and will not require the unnecessary noise.

I hope he can deliver

Personperson01:
Only politicians and their supporters lack common sense in matters like this... Any sensible person knows the cheat code of walking responsibly into banks restaurants and even public work spaces to use their toilets and will not require the unnecessary noise.

Yet you don't know why the commissioner asked banks, eateries, etc to make their toilets accessible to the public. 🤣

(Let's even pretend that there are banks and eateries everywhere and people have not had to urinate in public before).

Anyway, continue entertaining me.

Great initiative

I can build an app to locate all the toilets and show which one is available

Na still our elders talk say... "person wey shit dey catch no dey ask of directions, especially from a stammerer."

So you expect agbero/tout or aboki wey don take enough agbo jedi and shepe or tajutaju as cleanser to dey open and ask Loopoint for direction... okay na.

MarketDispatch:
Here, you don't need an app to tell you where toilet is. just walk into any pub, any restaurant, any take aways any bus station, etc and do the do

We would get there shortly.

AntiChristian:
The problem is about its long term management!

An APP of such would definitely be used by other state government provided it has been used by LASG.

Moroccoguy:
Many citizens prefer to criticize than to offer solutions to societal problems.

Criticism is a way of raising awareness about a problem. Serious people are not afraid of criticism. In fact, they love it cos it makes them better!

I get the concern, but framing it that way misses part of the reality. Open defecation isn’t just about “miscreants” or people unwilling to behave—it’s often tied to lack of access, cost, safety, and awareness. Many people you’re referring to simply don’t have reliable alternatives, especially in crowded or underserved areas.

For an initiative (especially a tech-driven one) to actually work, it can’t rely only on smartphones. It needs to meet people where they are. That could mean things like clear physical signage, community outreach, partnerships with local leaders, affordable or free public toilets, and even basic channels like radio or SMS for awareness.

If those elements are built in, the impact goes beyond smartphone users and starts reaching the people most affected. Without that, your concern is valid—the people who need it most would be left out.

AmazingELixir:


But the menace of open defecation is perpetuated mostly by miscreants , homeless people and touts with no access to smart phones or worse still don't know how to use one...how will this initiative benefit them.

adamkkk:
I can build an app to locate all the toilets and show which one is available

Did you read the report at all?

Bosman17:
Minds that only see problems… can we first see this work and then build on it?

Lol, it's not so... he has only identified the root cause of the problem, which is systemic from a wholistical point of view.

A case of you wanting to cure leprosy by using a paracetamol. The paracetamol or drug seller will benefit for his input, but the problem will likely persist since it's systemic.

Why not deal with the root cause by eliminating the miscreants, touts etc as much as possible which equally will reduce the cases of open defecation.

It's another LASG white elephant project IMO, with allies to benefit.... need I say more ?

I hear the frustration—what you’re describing isn’t abstract policy failure, it’s the everyday reality people step into at bus stops and street corners. And you’re right: keeping a city like Lagos clean isn’t “rocket science.” The harder part is consistency, accountability, and making sure the people doing the work are actually supported—not squeezed by middlemen.

The idea of hiring “real, young, serious” sanitation workers is solid. Where it often breaks down is the system around them: ghost workers, diverted funds, weak supervision, and no direct feedback from the public. That’s where a simple, well-designed tech layer can help—not replace people, but make the system harder to game.

Here’s something practical as an app developer:

Instead of assuming government just isn’t trying, it’s more accurate to say the system leaks. Money gets allocated, but by the time it reaches the ground, impact is watered down. So the goal isn’t just “pay people to clean,” it’s “make every naira traceable to visible cleanliness.”

A practical app-driven approach:

Think of a lightweight platform—let’s call it CleanTrack—built around three core ideas:

1. Direct worker accountability (cut out the middle layers)
Sanitation workers register with verified ID and are assigned specific zones (like those bus stops and drainage holes you mentioned). When they clean, they upload before/after photos tagged with location and time.
→ Payment is tied directly to verified work, not contracts awarded to politicians.

2. Public reporting that actually leads to action
Residents can snap and upload dirty spots—no fancy smartphone needed; even SMS or WhatsApp integration can work. Each report creates a visible task.
→ If a spot stays dirty, everyone can see it hasn’t been addressed.

3. Transparent payments and ratings
Workers get paid digitally (even via simple mobile money), and their performance builds a public score. The best workers earn more zones or bonuses.
→ This attracts the “serious, educated” workforce you’re talking about.

4. Micro-zoning instead of vague responsibility
Break Lagos into very small, clearly owned units—down to “this bus stop” or “this drainage stretch.” No more “it’s not my area.”

5. Community + low-tech awareness
Not everyone will use an app, so pair it with:
A. Local radio announcements
B. Street captains/community reps
C. Visual boards showing “last cleaned on…”

Why this could actually work:
- It reduces corruption by shortening the chain between funding and execution
- It gives visibility to the “small clustered dirts” that usually get ignored
- It creates dignity and incentives for sanitation workers
- It lets residents feel like participants, not just complainers

That said, tech alone won’t fix it. The government still has to:
- Build and maintain enough public toilets
- Enforce sanitation laws fairly
- Fund the system consistently

But if you combine those basics with a transparent, ground-level tracking system, you start closing the gap between “money spent” and “city actually clean.”

Putinofrussia:
Laudable indeed..
I hope it works in Lagos.
I don't know the rocket science behind making a state like Lagos clean.
The dirt,not only refuse dumps,but small clustered dirts everywhere including in those holes in front of bus stops scattered all over Lagos with different types of dirts including excreta,stuffed into them.
What stops govt paying people to keep these places and others clean ,making use of,not illiterate but real,young,serious,educated dirt managers.Not politicians who will collect the contracts,collect #50 per head but pay the workers #5 per head and they in return will end up sweeping sand from the main road leaving the real dirts.

🤣 ruzell86 is another one that believes that only homeless and uneducated people urinate and defecate in public in Lagos.

One of the joys of the election season is that you have these people that come to entertain you with comedy.

One of the down sides is that you can't have serious discussions.

Their talking point (only homeless and uneducated people urinate in public) already died. Will they keep flogging a dead horse?

Personperson01:
Rather app to tell the government where dirts are and shortputs to go there and pack it than tell someone who is not blind without data of 2mb where to sheet. Lol money about to be deposited get ready guess and use it well this time.

it can be integrated into it.

naptu2:
Their talking point (only homeless and uneducated people urinate in public) already died. Will they keep flogging a dead horse?

Public urination isn’t just about “who someone is,” it’s often about what options they have in the moment. In many cities, even well-dressed, employed people get caught short because there are too few accessible, clean public restrooms. Long commutes, traffic, events, or closed facilities can push anyone into a bad decision. It’s not admirable—but it’s not limited to any single group either.

Framing it as “only homeless or uneducated people do this” turns a public infrastructure and sanitation issue into a moral judgment about people. That makes it harder to fix the actual problem: lack of facilities, poor urban planning, and weak enforcement of sanitation standards.

A more constructive stance would be: discourage the behavior, yes—but also ask why it keeps happening across different groups, and what practical steps (more restrooms, better maintenance, clearer penalties) would reduce it for everyone.

Personperson01:
Rather app to tell the government where dirts are and shortputs to go there and pack it than tell someone who is not blind without data of 2mb where to sheet. Lol money about to be deposited get ready guess and use it well this time.

This will be an improvement on what they have.

IyaTola:
Public urination isn’t just about “who someone is,” it’s often about what options they have in the moment. In many cities, even well-dressed, employed people get caught short because there are too few accessible, clean public restrooms. Long commutes, traffic, events, or closed facilities can push anyone into a bad decision. It’s not admirable—but it’s not limited to any single group either.

Framing it as “only homeless or uneducated people do this” turns a public infrastructure and sanitation issue into a moral judgment about people. That makes it harder to fix the actual problem: lack of facilities, poor urban planning, and weak enforcement of sanitation standards.

A more constructive stance would be: discourage the behavior, yes—but also ask why it keeps happening across different groups, and what practical steps (more restrooms, better maintenance, clearer penalties) would reduce it for everyone.

EXACTLY!

But those people have been given a talking point in their whatsapp group and they are going to flog it to death.

IyaTola:
it can be integrated into it.

That already exists. It's called My Lagos App. It enables Lagosians locate police stations, report problems directly to the Lagos State Government (bad roads, waste issues, etc).

naptu2:
🤣 ruzell86 is another one that believes that only homeless and uneducated people urinate and defecate in public in Lagos.

One of the joys of the election season is that you have these people that come to entertain you with comedy.

One of the down sides is that you can't have serious discussions.

My friend, it's not the way you see it.

My moniker wasn't registered for elections sake. I'm a Nigerian (as it stands) and I want a system that functions well not just for me, but also for my offsprings. I do not believe so much in Japa.

So, I shouldn't criticize a Govt not working as expected because of sycophancy ? Please

You might need to visit the Orile - badagry express axis and see things yourself regarding open defecation, and not what you read online.

There's another common trick on Nairaland. I call it the "One size fits all" approach.

There are usually many reasons for a problem, so government needs to use a combination of solutions to solve the problem.

But trolls will act as if one solution must solve all problems. It doesn't work that way.

There are very many reasons why people urinate and defecate in public. These include:

⚫️Homelessness

⚫️ Lack of public toilets

⚫️ Lack of information

⚫️ Lack of planning or impatience by the violator.

Therefore, many solutions need to be used, including:

⚫️ Arresting violators

⚫️ Providing public toilets

⚫️ Providing information about the location and availability of such toilets.

This is easy for even a child to understand.

ruzell86:
My friend, it's not the way you see it.

My moniker wasn't registered for elections sake. I'm a Nigerian (as it stands) and I want a system that functions well not just for me, but also for my offsprings. I do not believe so much in Japa.

So, I shouldn't criticize a Govt not working as expected because of sycophancy ? Please

None of that means anything to me and I don't know or care whether you are lying or not.

The fact is that what you are saying is obviously wrong and this has been proven over and over on this thread.

@naptu2, I don't have any issues with the public toilets if they were made in Nigeria. If you hear how much each of these imported toilets cost you will sit on the floor.
Our elected officials keep spending our money creating jobs for other countries' citizens.
We need to stop clapping for them when they do these "show off", corruption ridden projects, we are the ones enabling them to keep Nigeria underdeveloped.

Ideally in a country with so many youths, you would expect the government/it's associates to hold regular Research and Design competitions to stimulate job creation.
Rather, they crush the citizens' innovativeness with bottlenecks that create untold hardship and unemployment.
They really do prefer to create poverty.

Make it a law that every filling station must operate a public toilet.

AntiChristian:
Let Peter Obi and his online police commend all these from Lagos state.

Lagos no be any state's mate!

I know Peter Obi will also do all these and more in his dream for Nigeria when he becomes president in year 3031.

People like you never allow a thoughtful thread like this to flow, you derail it with bitterness and ethnic bigotry

They all do.

SlayQueenSlayer:
Make it a law that every filling station must operate a public toilet.