Lagos State is taking decisive steps to restore environmental discipline in Nigeria’s commercial hub, securing the full backing of all 57 Local Government and Local Council Development Area (LG/LCDA) chairmen for the reintroduced Monthly Environmental Sanitation Exercise.
The agreement emerged on Tuesday at a strategic stakeholders’ meeting at the Alausa Secretariat, where state and local leaders aligned on measures to ensure the programme goes beyond a symbolic gesture and becomes a sustainable civic habit.
Speaking to the council chairmen, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, stressed that the exercise is a crucial response to the mounting waste challenges of a megacity.
He highlighted that Lagos is shifting from a “linear” waste system—merely collecting and dumping trash—towards a circular economy, where waste is seen as a resource.
Key points from his address included the deployment of State EXCO members and local government chairmen across the state on designated sanitation days to ensure compliance.
He noted that, with markets already observing a weekly sanitation routine every Thursday from 7 am to 10 am, extending this discipline to residential areas was the logical next step.
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To encourage participation, the Ministry will also host a monthly Award Ceremony to recognise and financially reward the cleanest local government or LCDA.
“We cannot allow waste and sanitation issues to overrun a megacity like Lagos. The State and Local Governments must work together to revive a culture of consistent cleanliness.”
The Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs, and Rural Development, Bolaji Roberts, alongside Lanre Afinni of the House Committee on Environment, called on chairmen to engage directly with traditional rulers and Community Development Associations (CDAs) to ensure compliance at the grassroots.
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Responding for the council leaders, the Chairman of Conference 57, Sesan Olowa, pledged the full support of all 57 chairmen.
He suggested that each local government establish a dedicated enforcement unit to ensure residents participate in the exercise.
While the initiative focuses on community participation, the State confirmed ongoing support for Private Sector Partnership (PSP) waste operators.
Through the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), the government will provide targeted interventions to ensure the increased volume of waste collected during the exercise is efficiently transported to landfills.
The meeting drew senior officials, including the Special Adviser on the Environment, Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, and heads of agencies such as LASPARK, LASEPA, and KAI, signalling a unified commitment to a cleaner Lagos.
