Lack of awareness among residents and food vendors is undermining Lagos’ initiative to encourage the proper disposal of used cooking oil.
Some residents and vendors told reporters in separate interviews on Monday in Lagos that they were unaware of available collection incentives.
The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) unveiled a household-focused used cooking oil collection initiative in February to curb pollution and improve public health.
The initiative, known as Ororo Waste, also aims to create economic opportunities through used cooking oil recovery across the state. It was launched in collaboration with Ororo Waste Management, with the support of the Shell Foundation.
LASEPA said residents would receive incentives for turning in used cooking oil at collection points across its zonal offices and headquarters.
However, findings by reporters showed that none of those interviewed had received direct guidance from environmental authorities or local government officials on proper disposal.
Some respondents said they would separate used oil if regular collection systems and adequate education on safe disposal were provided.
At Ijora Olopa Road, reporters observed a food vendor, Ms Mary Udonwa, using different batches of oil to fry fish, meat and plantain.
Udonwa said she disposed of used oil weekly by pouring it on the soil.
“Whenever I throw it away, it’s always into the soil. I don’t pour used oil into the sink or drainage,” she said.
She said she would store used oil separately if a collection system existed or if she received guidance on safe disposal.
Ms Rachel Ametohun, another food vendor at Ijora, said she used at least one keg of groundnut oil weekly and sometimes more.
“We reuse oil for certain foods, but we don’t use the same oil for different foods. If we use it to fry fish, we don’t use it for plantain,” she said.
Ametohun said market officials, local government authorities and environmental agencies had not spoken to vendors about cooking oil use and disposal.
Mrs Anita Ogbenne, a resident of Ijora, said she reused cooking oil several times before eventually pouring it into the gutter.
“If I pour it in my sink, it will block it over time. That is why I pour it in the gutter,” she said.
Ogbenne said she was willing to learn how to separate and properly dispose of used oil if educated about its environmental effects.
Another Ijora resident, Mrs Deborah Abodirin, said she reused cooking oil to avoid waste, particularly when frying chin-chin for her household.
“I reuse my oil to fry chin-chin. I discard it only when it starts to smell bad,” she said.
Abodirin said she had seen a video warning about the possible health effects of reused oil but had received no direct disposal guidance.
Mrs Beaumaris Auwal, a restaurant owner in Egbeda, said she cooled used oil before pouring it into an empty plastic bottle.
Auwal said she learnt the practice from her mother and taught her children and sales attendants to dispose of oil similarly.
She said she reused frying oil three to five times before sieving it to remove impurities for further use.
Auwal said she eventually discarded the bottled oil rather than pouring it into drains or sinks.
Mrs Chika Uwakwe, a resident of Ikorodu, said she preferred mixing used cooking oil with sawdust before disposal.
Uwakwe said she adopted the practice after a blocked kitchen sink forced her to replace the entire pipe.
“I spent a lot to change the entire pipe and since then, I mix it with sawdust before disposing,” she said.
“I usually have plenty of sawdust lying around the house, so I put it to good use,” she added.
Mrs Florence Mbanefo, a resident of Oshodi, said she had reduced her use of cooking oil after an accident involving spilled oil.
Mbanefo said she now used an air fryer for most fried foods and rarely used cooking oil except when preparing stew.
She said her son once slipped on spilled oil in their kitchen, an experience that changed her approach to cooking oil.
“After that experience, I only use oil to fry my stew and only when necessary,” she said.
“I don’t even have a fry pan in my kitchen anymore,” Mbanefo added.
Mr Nuhu, who fries yam around Night Market, Beesam, Airport Road, said he was unaware that used cooking oil disposal was an issue.
He said he always sieved his oil before adding fresh oil to it.
The experiences of residents and vendors interviewed by reporters suggest that awareness remains a major gap in accessing the initiative.
For residents like Udonwa, Ogbenne and Uwakwe, disposal decisions are shaped more by household experience than by information about formal collection options.
The respondents said clearer information, accessible collection points and regular engagement could encourage more residents and vendors to participate in the initiative.
The Managing Director of Ororo Waste Management, Mr Ayo Banjo, said during the launch that households generate up to 60 per cent of used cooking oil.
Banjo said households were critical to building a sustainable circular economy through proper used cooking oil recovery.
He said the initiative would create income opportunities, empower youths and improve public health through safer cooking oil management.
