The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation and the Government of Japan, has concluded a one-year cholera prevention capacity-building project in Lagos.
Eko Hot News reports that the intervention trained 1,054 informal food and water vendors as well as waste workers across eight flood-prone Local Government Areas to strengthen hygiene and sanitation practices.
The project, titled “Emergency Capacity Building of Informal Food and Water Vendors and Waste Workers in Flood-Affected Lagos to Combat Cholera Outbreaks,” was executed under UNIDO Project 240237. It followed the June 2024 cholera outbreak in Lagos, which recorded 579 suspected cases and 29 fatalities.
The closing event was held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja. The 12-month programme was supported by a $225,000 grant from the Government of Japan through UNIDO.
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, described the initiative as a proactive step to break the chain of cholera transmission through grassroots engagement.
He disclosed that 1,054 residents benefited from sensitisation campaigns, including 623 women and 431 men, while 452 vendors and waste workers received practical hygiene training.
Wahab noted that since the campaign began in April 2025, Lagos has not recorded any new cholera outbreak, attributing the outcome to preventive strategies and community ownership.
LASEPA General Manager, Dr Babatunde Ajayi, said lessons from the project would be integrated into ongoing enforcement and advocacy programmes.
Japan’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Hideo Suzuki, reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to cholera prevention, noting additional funding support through other health agencies.
Stakeholders expressed optimism that sustained collaboration would strengthen emergency preparedness and public health resilience in Lagos.
