WorldStage– Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Governor of Lagos State, Nigeria’s commercial centre has formally ordered the reintroduction of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise which suspended in November 2016 following a March 2015 Federal High Court ruling.
The monthly environmental sanitation exercise in Lagos, Nigeria, has its roots in the 1980s with the Federal Government of Nigeria introducing the National Sanitation Day program, which mandated monthly environmental sanitation exercises across the country in 1984 while the Lagos State Government adopted the program in 1985, making it a monthly event on the last Saturday of every month.
However, the monthly environmental sanitation in Lagos was officially suspended in November 2016 as a Federal High Court ruling mandated that restriction of human movement 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. was unconstitutional, violating citizens’ rights to freedom of movement.
However, Sanwo-Olu said at a stakeholders’ engagement on environmental sanitation on Saturday in Lagos that the monthly sanitation would kick off in April and take place every last Saturday of the month from 6.30 a.m. to 8.30 a.m.
Sanwo-Olu said the initiative was not a political contest but a serious public health and civic responsibility exercise aimed at building a cleaner and healthier Lagos.
The governor said the reintroduced sanitation exercise was designed to reach all parts of the state and deepen environmental consciousness among residents.
He added that government alone could not achieve a clean city without active public participation.
“This morning’s exercise is a very serious one and a defining moment for all of us as Lagosians.
“It is not about politics, it is not about rivalry; it is about our collective responsibility to keep our environment clean, healthy and safe for everyone,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu said the cleanliness of streets, markets, drainage channels and public spaces reflected the daily habits of residents.
He noted that sustainable environmental management must be driven by shared responsibility and not enforcement alone.
“A clean city is not achieved by government alone.
“It is built every day by the actions of citizens, by what we do in our homes, in our markets, in our communities and on our streets,” he said.
The government argued it was impractical for a megacity Eventually former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode formally announced the cancellation of the monthly, mandatory cleanup exercise in November 2016.
Sanwo-Olu recalled that the monthly environmental sanitation was once a national civic culture observed on the last Saturday of every month, when residents voluntarily cleaned their surroundings as part of a broader commitment to public health.
“Although a court judgment ended the movement restriction that characterised the old sanitation exercise, the responsibility of government and citizens to maintain a clean environment remained unchanged.
“We respect the rule of law and the authority of the courts.
“The enforcement mechanism may have changed, but the responsibility to maintain a clean and healthy environment has not changed and will never change,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu said the symbolic flag-off was, therefore, intended to revive the culture of environmental sanitation through awareness, partnership and voluntary participation, rather than relying solely on enforcement or punitive measures.
He assured residents that the state government would continue to strengthen waste management systems, improve training and infrastructure, and support environmental enforcement agencies in sustaining a cleaner Lagos.
“This is about restoring a culture and a consciousness.
“We will continue to strengthen waste management, improve our training and infrastructure, and support environmental enforcement, but we need citizens to own this process,” he said.
The governor decried the indiscriminate disposal of refuse such as water sachets, plastic bottles and wrappers into drainage channels, warning that the habit was worsening flooding and undermining the state’s road infrastructure.
He said clogged drainage systems often caused roads to fail repeatedly, even after repairs by contractors, because residents continued to dump waste into gutters and canals meant to discharge storm water.
“When people dump solid waste into drainage channels, the roads will keep failing.
“You cannot repair roads sustainably when the drainage meant to protect them is clogged with waste every day,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu noted that some roads repaired by contractors, including those handled by major firms, had deteriorated again because drainage channels were blocked by indiscriminate refuse disposal.
He urged community development associations (CDAs), market leaders, youths, religious organisations, political groups, community development committees (CDCs) and other institutions to take ownership of environmental cleanliness in their communities.
“Clean Lagos begins with daily individual choices.
“We need our market leaders, our youths, our religious institutions, our CDAs and CDCs to see environmental sanitation as a civic duty, not a government slogan,” he said.
The governor emphasised that while political offices and leadership positions were temporary, the health and wellbeing of communities were enduring priorities that should unite all residents behind the sanitation initiative.
“Leadership is temporary, but the life of our communities and the health of our people are permanent concerns.
“That is why this initiative must be bigger than speeches and bigger than any individual,” he said.
Earlier, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, commended Sanwo-Olu for reintroducing the monthly environmental sanitation exercise.
Wahab described the decision as a bold step towards reviving a long-standing culture of cleanliness in Lagos.
He said the exercise, which was discontinued in 2016, was once a familiar monthly tradition that encouraged residents to dedicate time to cleaning their immediate environment and promoting healthy living.
“For those who may not know, prior to 2016, we had a culture that emphasised the importance of cleanliness, where residents set aside time once every month to clean up their surroundings,” he said.
The commissioner said the reintroduction of the exercise followed over one year of consultations and deliberations involving the state government and critical stakeholders in the environmental management sector.
According to him, the process reflected the seriousness of the state government’s commitment to ensuring that the exercise was reintroduced in a manner that was lawful, practical and supported by residents.
“This did not happen overnight.
“It took over a year of consultations and engagements for us to arrive at a consensus that it is time to bring back this important culture of environmental responsibility,” he said.
Wahab urged residents to support the initiative by setting aside one or two hours monthly to clean their homes, streets, business premises and neighbourhoods in the interest of public health.
“It is a plea to all residents that it is time for us to give up just one or two hours every month to clean our surroundings.
“That little sacrifice will make a huge difference in the quality of our environment,” he said.
He noted that traders in markets across the state already observe weekly sanitation every Thursday between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., adding that the monthly exercise would extend that discipline to wider communities.
The commissioner noted that Lagos was transitioning from a linear waste management model to a circular system that treats waste as a resource with economic value rather than as a burden.
According to him, the new approach will enable the state to convert waste into wealth, energy, compost, fertiliser and recyclable materials, thereby improving environmental sustainability and creating economic opportunities.
“We are moving away from the old system where waste is simply collected and dumped at landfill sites.
“Waste will now be seen as a resource that can generate wealth, energy, compost, fertiliser and recyclable products,” he said.
Wahab thanked stakeholders, environmental agencies, private sector operators and community groups for their support, noting that sustained collaboration would be critical to the success of the sanitation initiative across Lagos.
He reiterated that the monthly environmental sanitation exercise was not merely a government programme but a call for behavioural change and a return to community-driven environmental stewardship.
“This is not just an event; it is a movement.
“It is about changing behaviour, restoring responsibility and building a cleaner, healthier and more resilient Lagos for present and future generations,” he said.
Present at the sensitisation were the Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, the Head of Service, Mr Bode Agoro, and the Chief of Staff, Mr Tayo Ayinde.
