A week after Ikeja Record reported on the stagnant, debris-filled state of the McGregor Channel beneath the Obalende bridge, the Lagos State Government has moved in to clean up the site.
In July 2025, Ikeja Record revisited the channel following an earlier report published in March.
The return visit showed that the channel had become clogged again.
On August 3, 2025, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, shared a video via his official X account showing workers clearing the waste.
“Ongoing routine maintenance and desilting of McGregor Channel, Obalende under-bridge,” the commissioner said.
@ikejarecord In March 2025, Ikeja Record reported on the dire state of the McGregor Channel in Obalende. At the time, the government responded. But when we went back again in July 2025, not much has changed. The channel remains overwhelmed with plastic and solid waste. What is the way forward for McGregor Channel? Let us know in the comment section. #CleanupLagos #IkejaRecord #LagosDoesNotStinkItIsDirty #lagosnews ♬ original sound – Ikeja Record
Pattern of repeated cleanups
The McGregor Channel has been the focus of multiple cleanup efforts by the Lagos State Government over the past year.
On March 19, Ikeja Record posted a video on TikTok and Instagram showing the channel blocked with plastics and other solid waste. The video received over 100,000 views and hundreds of comments within 48 hours.
By March 23, Commissioner Wahab announced that the state had commenced a cleanup of the channel as part of efforts to reduce flood risk ahead of the rainy season.
