*** Governor, Deputy lead state officials to clean up Mushin corridor
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo – Olu, on Saturday announced the re – introduction of the Monthly Environmental Sanitation in the State said the exercise will hold every last Saturday of the Month between 6 : 30 am and 8 : 30 am without movement restrictions.
He stressed that the would be monitored by State officials with appropriate sanctions meted out to erring neighborhoods and market.
Governor Sanwo – Olu, according to a statement issued by Gboyega Akosile, his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, 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 members of the State Cabinet on the mission, said the 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 cancelation of the exercise by previous administration, resulting in haphazard environmental clean up.
He said: “Every last Saturday of the month used to be a moment when citizens across the state would come together to clean their surroundings, their drains and contribute to a healthy environment across the metropolis, it used to be a collective civic responsibility. Many old residents will remember that the monthly environmental sanitation was voluntarily observed”.
Today, we are bringing back the era where we all take collective responsibility for the collective responsibility for the cleanliness of our environment. Sanwo – Olu emphasised that regular sanitation would uphold a fundamental principle that achieve a clean city relied not on only the action of government but also on the discipline and cooperation of its citizens.
The Governor in the statement, 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 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 assured that the responsibility for maintaining a clean environment would remain unchanged.
He said: “The condition on our streets, markets, drainage channels, and public spaces underscores the need to bring back the monthly environmental sanitation. Everyone must take responsibility for the environment we shared. In a city that is as large and dynamic as Lagos, maintaining a clean and healthy environment must be a collective civic responsibility. The residents, whose lives are at risk, must get involved.”
Sanwo – Olu reteirated that the month sanitation would revive the culture of environmental consciousness in all the communities.
The statement revealed that the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab stated that the re – introduction of the monthly sanitation was a bold step towards improving the well being of the residents as well as bequeathing a safe, clean and sustainable environment to the coming generation.
Wahab said that the exercise was inline with the THEME Plus Agenda of the Sanwo – Olu administration, highlighting the objectives to give Lagosians access to conducive and liveable environmental.
He said, “Government is re – introducing the cleaning exercise and residents are encouraged to clean their homes, surroundings, drainages in front of their houses and streets while LAWMAN officials would always be on ground to collect the waste and dispose them properly
Wahab disclosed that one of 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 responsibility imbibe the culture of neatness.
“As Government it is our collective responsibility to continually develop strategic method to improve the environment, ensure that it is flood free and make it conducive for the residents and this can be achieved through the continuous cleaning of the environment from time to time,” he said.
He advised communities that may want to defy the directive to avail themselves of the Lagos State 2017 Environmental Protection Law, noting offending neighborhoods would be dealt would be dealt with in accordance with the law.
The newly re – introduced Monthly Environmental Sanitation Exercise would commence on the Saturday, April 25th, 2026 from 6: 30 am to 8: 30 am. across the State without formal restrictions of movement.
