By: Sonaike, Peter

In the heart of Agbowo, the most populated off-campus community around the University of Ibadan, Osuolale Ajoke appears as an emblem of both cleanliness and resilience. Despite her young but relentless efforts to maintain a clean home, by sweeping her family’s rented apartment at least four times a week as instructed, Ajoke’s effort, sad to say, is in a twist with her co-tenants and neighbors who neglect the basics of hygiene.

Ajoke’s neighbors, who often contribute recklessly to the filth surrounding her home, dodge the responsibility to clean up when necessary. With many ignoring the weekly cleaning schedule, they create a challenge for Ajoke’s family, who sigh for for a healthy living environment. 

“My family, especially me, always ensures our surroundings are clean, but some of our neighbors are the issue. They mess up the apartment despite our efforts to keep it clean,” Ajoke barely 14-years told IndyPress.

The State of Agbowo

Agbowo, located in Ibadan North Local Government area, is home to many off-campus students of the University of Ibadan, due to its proximity. The area consists of an array of houses usually an admixture of students and other community people. Its landscape is characterised by sundry shops that meet the daily needs of its residents. According to a 2019 report, the occupancy population in Agbowo is approximately at about 97,000.

Despite numerous attempts to maintain cleanliness, the spate of population in the area remains in desperate need of environmental reform. While efforts to tackle the challenge have been made, they have proven largely ineffective. For instance, a news report from IndyPress on September 19, 2023, highlighted a campaign by the Youths for Cleanliness and Care (YCC) initiative aimed at addressing Agbowo’s residents on the importance of keeping their environment clean. Despite the well-meaning intent of this kind of initiative, it has had a minimal impact on the community’s environmental status. These efforts are routinely undermined by the dumping of solid waste in inappropriate places – and even the indiscriminate disposal of feces.

The absence of an adequate drainage system across all the residential sublets that constitutes Agbowo further compounds the problem. Some gutters are clogged with debris and are dangerously close to water-wells, putting residents at risk of consuming contaminated water. Additionally, there is a troubling trend with residents dumping refuse into “Odo Gather“, a very sizeable waterway which may lead to erosion and flooding due to the  river’s  proximity to closely built houses. Also, the prevalence of latrine toilets in some houses, exposes residents, many of whom are University of Ibadan students to infections such as cholera, despite the high rents they pay.

(Picture – A latrine toilet in a house within the Agbowo community)

Despite Oyo State allocating 40.9 billion naira for the state health budget, Agbowo has hardly drawn tangible benefit from the state budget. This raises pressing questions about the efficacy of the Oyo State Waste Management Authority (OYOWMA), one of the three institutions with the responsibility for solid waste management in Ibadan metropolitan. It also questions the accountability of local representatives, including the local government chairman, House of Representatives member, and senators, in addressing these urgent issues.

Voices from Agbowo Residents

In response to the issue of environmental cleanliness, a chorus of voices have called for urgent reforms to address the community’s challenges.

Iya Fatai, a distressed mother, spoke about the rampant mosquito infestation that has wreaked havoc on her household, leading to frequent bouts of malaria. “I am very tired of the environmental filth in our area,” she lamented. “I have to take my children to the hospital because of malaria, and each visit comes with skyrocketing hospital bills,” she added.

Echoing her concerns, Iya Muyiwa highlighted the negligence of some landlords who rent apartments without enforcing proper hygiene. The woman, a seamstress, recounted her experience with a landlord who forbade tenants from buying waste bins, under the guise that such an item would disfigure the house.

“The dirtiness in the area is partly caused by some landlords. My former landlord didn’t allow tenants to buy waste bins, claiming they would disfigure his house. Out of greed, some landlords rent out apartments without considering the tenants’ attitudes towards health and hygiene,” she explained to IndyPress.

Iya Ajoke, another longtime resident who lives in Adetumobi area of Agbowó also speaks about community’s uncleanliness, blaming the lack of waste management as a significant reason. While down the memory lane she could recall a time when environmental sanitation was a norm, Iya Ajoke, a mother of five, linked her frequent spells of typhoid fever to the rampant and unchecked environment. “I remember when I was young, there was always environmental sanitation on the last Saturday of every month. But that is no longer in existence. We beg the government to address this issue,” she implored.

Another resident, Baba Gbenga, a POS operator whose stall is constantly plagued by the foul smell emanating from Odo Gather voiced his frustrations about the indiscriminate dumping of refuse into the waterway. “In Agbowo, we don’t have a waste management system. People just dump refuse into “Odo Gather”,(the local  river in the community), which can cause erosion and flooding if care is not taken,” he warned.

(Picture – “Odo Gather” the local river in Agbowo community where some residents dispose refuse)

Clearly expressing his frustrations over politicians’ empty promises and the government’s failure to address Agbowo’s dire situation, Baba Shina, who lives closely to the dumpsite condemned the apparent negligence of the area by government agencies. “The government has forsaken us in this area. Did they want to tell us that they don’t know our area? The environment is dirty, they don’t do anything about it. All they know is campaigning and soliciting for people’s mandate,” he said, with his disappointment perceivable.

As concerns seem to grow louder, the community’s need for environmental reform grows more urgent. 

The Impact on UI Students

With Agbowo’s curly dirt, it is no wonder why it has become a breeding ground for harmful insects and rodents which pose a significant health risk to students of the University of Ibadan residing in the area.

An instance would easily be Aloba Jonathan Oladele, a 300-level student of Art and Social Sciences Education who told IndyPress that he has been suffering from catarrh for over three days due to the unpleasant odor in the neighborhood.

“Personally, because of the environmental problems we have in Agbowo, I have been having catarrh for three days. This is not right. This is a place where people live, not a GFR. What I mean by GFR is “God’s Forsaken Area,” Oladele remarked.

He recounted an evening when he had to cease studying because of repeated mosquito bites, emphasizing the urgent need for an intervention.

Victor Adeoye, another 300-level student from the Faculty of Education, voiced similar concerns. “As a night reader, I always go to KDL to read. The state of this environment is poor. I cannot read here at night without being bitten by mosquitoes. Sometimes, the heat caused by poor ventilation prevents me from reading in my room. I have decided that this session, I will relocate to my (school) hostel,” he asserted.

The environmental issues in Agbowo are also a threat to food safety as Kayode Tunde, a 400-level student of Computer Science, recounted how he lost his food to rats due to the unsanitary conditions. “One day, after a long lecture, I came home hungry and famished. When I went to where I kept my raw food(yam), I found it had been tampered with by a rat,” he complained.

The chronic waste mismanagement in Agbowo severely impedes the learning environment for UI students, making it imperative for appropriate authorities to address these pressing issues without delay.

The Landlords’ Perspective

Despite her age, Grandma, as her neighbors call her, cannot go a day without cleaning her house located in Adetumobi. With frequent visit to her house, Grandma as she is often called told IndyPress about her carefulness as an individual. Grandma’s home is situated beside a plot frequently littered with rubbish which she habitually sweeps. She also laments her tenant’s poor hygiene habits, acknowledging her limitations in enforcing cleanliness due to her age. However, as a measure, she entrusts the key to her well to someone she considers hygienic. “I can’t keep my house anything but spotless. I wish my tenant would follow my example. I frequently have visitors, and I can’t host them in a dirty environment,” she said.

Almost similarly, another landlady, popularly known as Alhaja, bemoaned the prevalent dirtiness. She mentioned that certain measures should be put in place to maintain cleanliness in the area.

Alhaja stressed that achieving environmental sanitation would be most effective through a collective effort by local landlords and landladies. However, she pointed out that this is challenging since it has been a long time since they last held a meeting. Alaja urged the government to come to Agbowo’s aid. “We are pleading with our government to assist us by providing the necessary tools for environmental sanitation, such as waste bins. We cannot continue to live in filth. Our lives are at risk. The government must not forget us,” she said.

Expert Intervention 

In an interview with IndyPress, Ajenifuja Stephen, a student of University of Ibadan and environmental health science, offered a range of solutions to enhance environmental sanitation in Agbowo.

Stephen identified a lack of awareness about health risks as a core issue. He emphasized the dangers of latrine toilets, which can spread diseases like cholera, and criticized the habit of dumping rubbish into the “Odo Gather”, the local river in the community, which contaminates the local water cycle and adversely affects the community.

He cautioned against using well water located near contaminated sites and stressed the importance of proper planning before constructing homes. Stephen also pointed out that the discontinuation of weekly environmental sanitation on Thursdays and monthly cleanups on the last Saturday has exacerbated the problem.

To address these issues, Stephen suggested the implementation of strict regulations and the establishment of an effective waste management system, with penalties for non-compliance. He urged University of Ibadan’s students to model good hygiene practices to inspire the community.

“Total cleanliness in Agbowo is achievable if residents commit to good hygiene practices,” Stephen stated. “Appointing environmental officers to enforce cleanliness is crucial. People know what to do; they just need the motivation to act, ” he added.

Postscript – While this article focuses on the environmental issues in Agbowo, it is crucial to note that the area also struggles with infrastructure and road congestion problems. Watch out as the second series of this featured piece explores the other striking challenge.S

(Some names have been altered to protect identity.)