Olushola Omogbehin
The Government of Lagos State, has concluded plan to resume the monthly environmental sanitation exercise that was suspended many years ago.
This was disclosed on Saturday by the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab.
Wahab said: “I am pleased to inform all Lagosians that the monthly environmental sanitation exercise will resume effective Saturday, 25th April 2026, holding on the last Saturday of every month from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
“During this period, residents are enjoined to clean their surroundings, clear drainage channels in their frontages, and dispose of waste properly as a civic responsibility.
“This exercise is a collective responsibility and a vital part of our commitment to a cleaner, healthier, and flood-resilient Lagos. And it shall be backed with the full enforcement weight of the Lagos State Government.
“Let me formally say this and say it boldly. Mr Governor and his deputy are taking a very audacious step. For those who don’t know, prior to 2016, we had a culture that emphasised cleanliness as next to godliness.
“Once every month, we took our time to clean up our surroundings and then maintain them sparkling. However, for some years, we stopped it.
“Now, waste, debt, and environmental challenges have become an existential challenge to us as a state. It’s taken us over a year to debate, talk, and agree that it’s time to reintroduce a monthly environmental sanitation.”
He also urged Lagosians to dedicate little of their time every month to environmental cleanliness.
“It’s a plea that it is time for us to give up just one or two hours a month. In our marketplaces, every Thursday, we observe environmental cleanliness. But this time, we are saying as a state, let us sit back once a month and observe the cleanliness of our environment as we used to before 2016.”
Slated for last Saturday of every month between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m, Lagosians during the monthly sanitation are expected to clean their surroundings, clear drainage channels around their homes and dispose of waste appropriately.
The exercise was suspended in November 2016 sequel to a court ruling against the restriction of movement during the hours.
