SUN MAR 15 2026-theGBJournal| The Lagos State Government has reintroduced the monthly environmental sanitation exercise as part of renewed efforts to improve cleanliness and promote a healthier environment across the state.
The return of the initiative announced on Saturday by the State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, is aimed at strengthening waste management practices, clearing blocked drainage systems, and encouraging residents to take greater responsibility for keeping their surroundings clean.
The Governor said the exercise will hold every last Saturday of the Month between the hours of 6:30am and 8:30am but without movement restrictions.
He stressed that the exercise would be monitored by State officials with appropriate sanctions to be meted out to erring neighbourhoods and markets.
Sanwo-Olu made the pronouncement during a ceremony held in Olosa Bus Stop in Mushin which marked the symbolic flag-off of the monthly sanitation.
The Governor, who led his Deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, and member of the State cabinet on the mission, said the culture of environmental responsibility must be imbibed by the residents across all communities in the state and reflect same in their lifestyle.
He observed that environmental sanitation had become a resident obligation, as people would often clean up their surroundings voluntarily. The Governor, however, said the commitment dropped, following the cancellation of the exercise by previous administration, resulting in haphazard environmental cleanup.
Sanwo-Olu emphasised that regular sanitation would uphold a fundamental principle that achieving a clean city relied not only on the action of government but also on the discipline and cooperation of its citizens.
The Governor recalled a court judgement that led to the decision to halt the exercise which was informed by movement restrictions enforced during the exercise. He emphasised that the State Government respected the rule of law and the court’s authority by suspending the monthly sanitation programme at that time.
Sanwo-Olu emphasised that the State Government had reviewed the exercise’s enforcement aspect. This resulted in reduced restrictions but he assured that the responsibility for maintaining a clean environment would remain unchanged.
Sanwo-Olu reiterated that the monthly sanitation would revive the culture of environmental consciousness in all the communities.
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab said the re-introduction of the monthly sanitation was a bold step towards improving the wellbeing of the residents as well as bequeathing a safe, clean and sustainable environment to the coming generation.
Wahab said that the exercise was in line with the T.H.E.M.E.S Plus Agenda of the Sanwo-Olu administration, highlighting the objectives to give Lagosians access to a conducive and liveable environment.
Wahab said one of the goal of the event was to further educate residents on the need to take ownership of their environment and ensure they continually clean their surroundings, dispose waste responsibly and imbibe the culture neatness.
He advised communities that may want to defy the directive to avail themselves of the Lagos State 2017 Environmental Protection Law, noting that offending neighbourhoods would be dealt with in accordance with the Law.
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