Lekki Borehole Water Likely ‘Shit Water,’ Says Lagos Drainage Chief

Residents of the Lekki area in Lagos State may be consuming contaminated water from boreholes, according to Mahmood Adegbite, the Permanent Secretary of the Office of Drainage Services and Water Resources.

Speaking at Channels Television’s Programme Morning Brief on Wednesday, Adegbite warned that the quality of groundwater in Lekki is questionable due to the possible infiltration of untreated waste.

“Everyone digging boreholes within the Lekki axis is probably drinking what I will call ‘shit water,’” he said. “However, if we can treat all the wastewater within this axis, which we have plans for, we should be able to also eradicate any form of disease that might result from non-treatment of our waste.”

The Permanent Secretary emphasised the urgent need for proper wastewater treatment to prevent health risks and waterborne diseases, particularly in rapidly developing urban areas like Lekki.

Adegbite also commented on the state’s flooding challenges, noting that Lagos continues to grapple with irregular rainfall patterns and complex environmental factors.

“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 said.

“Even though we have committed so much [to flood management], we still need a lot to do in that space.”