The Lagos State Government has issued a serious warning regarding the quality of water consumed by residents in Lekki, revealing that many individuals who have drilled boreholes in the area might unknowingly be drinking “shit water.”
This alarming statement was made by Mahmood Adegbite, the Permanent Secretary of the Office of Drainage Services and Water Resources, during a recent stakeholder engagement meeting held in the state.
Adegbite explained that due to the poor wastewater management in Lekki and its environs, untreated human waste is seeping into underground water sources. This contamination, he said, poses a serious health risk to residents who rely on boreholes for their daily water needs.
“Everyone digging borehole within the Lekki axis is probably drinking what I will call ‘shit water,’” he said bluntly, urging both the government and residents to act swiftly in addressing wastewater treatment and sanitation infrastructure in the area.
He emphasized the urgency of building and upgrading drainage and water treatment systems to prevent potential health hazards such as cholera outbreaks and other waterborne diseases. His remarks were part of a broader discussion on ongoing environmental and infrastructural challenges facing the Lagos metropolis.
Adegbite also touched on the persistent issue of flooding in the state. He noted that despite several government interventions and heavy financial investments, areas like Lekki continue to suffer from severe flooding due to poor drainage planning, rapid urban development, and changing weather patterns.
He cited the unusual amount of rainfall recorded in August as evidence of Lagos’s climate crisis, explaining that existing drainage systems are overwhelmed and that more resilient designs must be implemented to adapt to the evolving environmental conditions.
Meanwhile, his comment on the borehole contamination went viral, triggering mixed reactions from residents and netizens alike. While some appreciated the candor and call to action, others questioned the government's prior handling of Lekki’s urban planning and waste disposal systems.
See some reactions below:
@cisl_d: “Last warning!!!! Stop investing in Lagos. I am not a prophet of doom…… something very devastating will happen in Lagos within the next 7 years….stay away for now.”
@iam_damayor: “The same Lagos that somebody built and discovered!”
@musajidda: “Ahaa may be that is why suckaway no dey ever full for Lekki.”
WATCH VIDEO:
𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐎: 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐈𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐤𝐤𝐢 𝐈𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 ‘𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫’ – 𝐋𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐬 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐭
The Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services and Water Resources in Lagos State, Mahmood Adegbite, has said… pic.twitter.com/64T0fLh4YW
— Punch Newspapers (@MobilePunch) August 6, 2025