Sanwo-Olu Revives Environmental Sanitation in Lagos After 9 Years, Begins in April
The Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led Lagos State Government has announced the reintroduction of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise, set to begin on April 25 across the state.
Governor Sanwo-Olu said the exercise will hold every last Saturday of the month between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., stressing that the initiative is aimed at promoting public health and environmental responsibility among residents.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ engagement on environmental sanitation in Mushin on Saturday, the governor said the exercise followed over one year of consultations with critical stakeholders.
He emphasised that the sanitation drive is not politically motivated but a collective civic duty.
“This morning’s exercise is a very serious one and a defining moment for all of us as Lagosians.
It is not about politics; it is not about rivalry; it is about our collective responsibility to keep our environment clean, healthy and safe for everyone,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu noted that the cleanliness of streets, markets and drainage channels reflects the daily habits of residents and called for stronger citizen participation.
“A clean city is not achieved by government alone. It is built every day by the actions of citizens, by what we do in our homes, in our markets, in our communities and on our streets,” the governor said.
He also warned against indiscriminate dumping of waste such as sachet water nylons and plastic bottles into drainage systems, saying the practice contributes significantly to flooding and repeated road failures.
“When people dump solid waste into drainage channels, the roads will keep failing. You cannot repair roads sustainably when the drainage meant to protect them is clogged with waste every day,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu explained that while a court ruling had ended the movement restriction previously associated with the sanitation exercise, residents still have a responsibility to maintain a clean environment.
“We respect the rule of law and the authority of the courts. The enforcement mechanism may have changed, but the responsibility to maintain a clean and healthy environment has not changed and will never change,” he said.
Earlier, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, commended the governor for restoring the sanitation exercise, describing it as a bold step toward reviving a culture of cleanliness in Lagos.
“For those who may not know, prior to 2016, we had a culture that emphasised the importance of cleanliness, where residents set aside time once every month to clean up their surroundings,” Wahab said.
He added that the decision followed extensive consultations with stakeholders in the environmental sector.
“This did not happen overnight. It took over a year of consultations and engagements for us to arrive at a consensus that it is time to bring back this important culture of environmental responsibility,” he said.
Wahab urged residents to dedicate at least one or two hours monthly to cleaning their homes, streets and neighbourhoods.
“It is a plea to all residents that it is time for us to give up just one or two hours every month to clean our surroundings. That little sacrifice will make a huge difference in the quality of our environment,” he said.
He further explained that Lagos is transitioning from a linear waste disposal system to a circular waste economy that converts waste into wealth, energy, compost and recyclable products.
“We are moving away from the old system where waste is simply collected and dumped at landfill sites. Waste will now be seen as a resource that can generate wealth, energy, compost, fertiliser and recyclable products,” he said.
The monthly sanitation exercise was suspended in 2016 following a court ruling that declared the restriction of human movement during the exercise unconstitutional. The Lagos government now seeks to revive the culture through voluntary participation and community collaboration.
