In a decisive move to restore environmental discipline, the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources has finalized plans for the re-introduction of the Monthly Environmental Sanitation Exercise.
The announcement followed a high-level strategic meeting on Tuesday between the state government and Conference 57—the body of Chairmen of the 57 Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Lagos.
A Collective Push for a Cleaner Megacity
The State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, emphasized that the meeting was crucial to securing the buy-in of local leadership. He noted that the initiative is a direct follow-up to the formal launch by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu last month.
“With Lagos generating about 13,000 to 14,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste daily, the challenge of waste management requires collective and consistent action. Achieving a cleaner, flood-free, and sustainable environment requires collaboration between the State Government, Local Governments, and residents,”Wahab stated.
To ensure the exercise is more than just a ceremonial act, the Commissioner revealed that State EXCO members and Local Government Chairmen will be assigned to various locations to monitor compliance during designated sanitation periods.
Incentives and Enforcement Strategies
The state government is adopting a carrot and stick approach to ensure the program’s success. Wahab announced the introduction of a monthly award for the cleanest Local Government or LCDA, complete with incentives to foster healthy competition among councils.
Conversely, the government will deploy a dedicated monitoring and enforcement team to ensure effectiveness. Wahab urged council bosses to crack down on the culture of waste, specifically targeting the dumping of refuse on roads, medians, open spaces, and canals.
Grassroots Mobilization and Local Coordination
Responding on behalf of the council chairmen, the Chairman of Conference 57, Hon. Abdullahi Sesan Olowa, pledged the full support of all 57 local leaders. He outlined a three-pronged strategy for the grassroots level: advocacy and awareness, stakeholder engagement, and waste management re-orientation.
Olowa stressed that for the exercise to be effective, local secretariats must act as central coordinating hubs for state agencies and monitoring teams.
“Compliance and accountability are essential to achieving the desired environmental outcomes. We must intensify public sensitization through Community Development Associations (CDAs) and engage critical stakeholders like market leaders and traditional rulers to drive participation,” Olowa noted.
The re-introduction of the exercise marks a significant return to a culture of communal cleaning in Lagos, aimed at mitigating the perennial risks of urban flooding and improving the overall health of the state’s residents.
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