The Lagos State Government has issued a call to residents to embrace a culture of voluntary environmental cleaning, warning that the state is prepared to enforce stricter sanctions against those who treat waste management with levity.
Speaking during a live X Space (AskLagos) session on Thursday, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, addressed the much-anticipated return of the monthly restriction of movement for sanitation.
He urged Lagosians not to wait for a government “lockdown” before taking responsibility for their immediate surroundings.
Wahab revealed that the decision to bring back the monthly sanitation exercise was a deliberate move by the State Executive Council, chaired by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The plan underwent a rigorous year-long legal review by the Ministry of Justice to ensure it aligns with modern governance.
“It is about trying to build a culture of waste management, the way we have built a culture of excellence,” Wahab stated.
“Sacrificing one or two hours once a month to fix our environment is not a bad idea.”
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The Commissioner noted that while a previous court order once halted the exercise over human rights concerns regarding movement restriction, the State eventually won the matter at the Court of Appeal.
He admitted the state “dropped the ball” after that victory but is now determined to reclaim the progress lost in waste management.
The state is not just focused on cleaning but also on innovative disposal. Wahab highlighted several key developments.
A new plant converting waste to energy was recently commissioned at a major fruit market, with a larger facility capable of processing 4,000 metric tonnes of waste daily expected in the coming months.
LAWMA has secured over 100,000 bins for distribution.
The Commissioner warned residents against the habit of using these refuse bins to fetch water.
Acknowledging the challenges faced by Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators, Wahab assured that LAWMA would continue to intervene to ensure service remains steady.
Lagos is moving away from being a “Hobbesian State” where anything goes.
The Commissioner confirmed that the State House of Assembly is currently reviewing environmental laws to introduce even harsher penalties for infractions.
“It doesn’t make sense to have any law if you are not able to enforce it,” he said. “Stricter sanctions will be applied to some of these bad behaviours. We shall enforce the consequences.”
Comparing the environmental challenge to the global response during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Wahab argued that if the world could adapt to masks and shutdowns for survival, Lagosians must adapt to sanitation for the sake of public health and sustainability.
He pointed out that the Thursday market sanitation has been successful and uninterrupted, and the government now seeks to replicate that discipline in every home across the state.
