I remain your friend, Dr. Charles Apoki. I want to talk about the viral video of the youth corper lady who was crying about her experiences. While she raised valid concerns, she made one very serious mistake. She said that Lagos was smelling. That was a big error because it is not only Lagos that is smelling—the whole of Nigeria is smelling!
This is a reality we must face. The entire country is filled with foul odours, filth, and decay. Sometimes, I wonder how I will explain this situation to my grandchildren or my daughters-in-law. Nigeria is not just smelly; it is chaotic, oppressive, and suffocating. The noise, the disorder, and the sheer dysfunction of our environment make it feel as if we are living in an asylum where even the driving school operates in madness.
When foreigners visit, you can see the fear in their eyes as they navigate our streets. The way cars move, the way people behave—it is as if they believe a collision is inevitable at any moment. In many parts of the country, the noise is unbearable. One moment, it’s loud music from street parties; the next, it’s a church program blasting sounds through the night. Then, there are the generators running endlessly, contributing to an already unbearable atmosphere. When power is restored, you still find another source of noise pollution—some mechanical equipment or some other disruptive element.
Some areas are simply depressing. Take, for instance, the road leading to my school. I have done my best to improve it, but when you look left and right, you are reminded of the depth of our infrastructural decay. There are places with no proper roads, just endless potholes and dirt tracks. From Warri to Benin City, from Sapele Road to Ring Road, the situation is the same—filth and neglect.
And then there is the culture of indiscriminate waste disposal. You see people washing plates and throwing the dirty water, filled with soap, oil, and food particles, directly onto the road. It is infuriating! Personally, I never throw anything out of my car window. I once saw a man eat a biscuit and throw the wrapper on the ground at the airport. When I picked it up, he looked at me with disdain and asked, “Are you a cleaner?” What kind of mindset is this?
Even on expressways, you see bridges littered with refuse. People strip naked in broad daylight and relieve themselves in public places. It is shocking! This is why some people call Nigeria a zoo. The filth, the chaos, and the disorganization make it look like an unstructured, uncivilized environment.
Now, Lagos has seen some improvement over the years. In the past, you wouldn’t see a single car without dents; now, there is a bit more sanity. But beyond the surface, the fundamental issues remain.
So, while the youth corper in the viral video was right to be frustrated, her mistake was thinking that only Lagos smells. In reality, the whole country is in a state of decay, and we must all acknowledge this and demand change. Until we take personal and collective responsibility for our environment, the situation will only get worse.
I remain your friend, Dr. Charles Apoki.
