In many Lagos kitchens and roadside stalls, used vegetable oil (popularly called Ororo) is quietly discarded, reused repeatedly, or poured into drains, with little awareness of its hidden economic value.
Mrs Ngozi Okpala, a trader who fries bean cake (akara) at Ayobo, a suburb of Lagos, said after using vegetable oil about five times, she would not use it again.
Okpala told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that instead of throwing the oil away, she preferred to reuse it at home for cooking.
Asked if she was aware of any collection point for used cooking oil, she said she was not.
Mrs Magnet Udo, a civil servant, shared a slightly different experience. She said she simply disposes of used vegetable oil, unaware that it could pose environmental risks.
“I just throw it away,” she said, unknowingly contributing to drainage blockage and environmental pollution.
Mrs Onoriode Ajao, a businesswoman, recalled working at a fast-food outlet in the late 1990s, where she often brought home litres of used cooking oil.
“My family used it for our daily meals. We didn’t know it had other industrial uses,” she said.
Miss Mabel Akpan, a food seller at Ijegun, said she was not aware of the value chain in used vegetable cooking oil.
Akpan said she continually used her cooking oil until it starts getting a foul odour before discarding it.
Another food seller at the Iyana Ipaja area of Lagos, Mrs Ngozi Udoh, said she usually discarded her used cooking oil after using it for about six times.
Three other residents interviewed by NAN also admitted they were unaware that used cooking oil had value beyond the kitchen.
Speaking on the health implications of reusing cooking oil, Dr Tunji Akintade, a General Physician, warned that it breaks down its chemical components to form harmful compounds such as trans fats, toxins and free radicals.
Akintade cautioned that the practice poses severe health risks, including increased Low-density lipoprotein LDL (bad cholesterol), heart disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases.
“Reused oil raises LDL, leading to plaque buildup in arteries, high blood pressure, and increased risk of stroke and heart attacks,” he said.
However, according to the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Lagos households are sitting on what could become a 20 million-dollar value chain if properly harnessed.
The General Manager of LASEPA, Dr Babatunde Ajayi, disclosed this during the unveiling of collection points for used cooking oil across the agency’s zonal offices.
Ajayi said improper disposal of used oil blocks drainage channels, contributes to flooding, damages roads and increases public health risks.
“Many households and restaurants discharge used oil into drains,
contaminating soil and groundwater. Some burn it with other waste, worsening air pollution,” he said.
He explained that the newly introduced collection initiative aims to convert used cooking oil into economic value, reduce infrastructure repair costs and prevent disease outbreaks linked to flooding and environmental pollution.
According to him, the programme promotes voluntary compliance by rewarding proper waste handling and encouraging residents to participate in environmental protection.
Ajayi added that Nigeria ranks among the world’s top producers of used cooking oil, with Lagos accounting for nearly 50 per cent due to its population and economic activities.
He said collected oil would be processed into biofuel and other sustainable products, supporting climate action while reducing pollution.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of Ororo Waste Management, Mr Ayo Banjo, said households generate up to 60 per cent of used cooking oil, making them critical to building a sustainable circular economy.
Banjo noted that beyond environmental benefits, the initiative could create income opportunities, empower youths and improve public health through safer oil management practices.
He stressed that what many residents consider waste is, in fact, a resource capable of generating revenue, supporting green jobs and reducing the burden on public infrastructure.
NAN reports that for now, however, ignorance remains a major barrier.
Across Lagos, from street food vendors to residential kitchens, Ororo continues to flow into drains or is reused beyond safe limits — a silent loss of wealth and an environmental hazard.
As LASEPA expands its collection network, the challenge will be convincing residents that every litre of used oil properly disposed of is not just waste avoided, but wealth recovered.
