Lagos unveils monthly sanitation enforcement plan

The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, announced the enforcement plan on Wednesday.

The Lagos State Government has released new details on the reintroduced monthly environmental sanitation exercise, which will resume on Saturday, 25 April, with movement restrictions and enforcement measures in place across the state.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, announced that the exercise would take place on the last Saturday of every month, between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.

“The exercise will hold every last Saturday of the month between the hours of 6:30 am and 8:30 am. During this period, there will be controlled movement across the state to allow residents to carry out thorough cleaning of their homes, surroundings and drainage frontages,” he stated.

Mr Wahab said enforcement teams drawn from the ministry, the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, Kick Against Indiscipline, the Lagos Waste Management Authority, and local government sanitation inspectors would monitor compliance.

According to him, the teams would “conduct physical inspections during and after the sanitation window to ensure compliance,” warning that “defaulters will be sanctioned in accordance with the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law of 2017.”

He added that “LAWMA intervention trucks will go around to cart away bagged wastes generated during the exercise,” noting that incentives would be introduced to encourage participation.

“There will be rewards for the cleanest Local Government Area, Local Council Development Area, and the cleanest street as part of efforts to encourage healthy competition and community participation,” he noted.

Mr Wahab urged residents to support the initiative. “We urge all residents to take ownership of this exercise and join hands with the government in building a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable Lagos,” he said.

The clarification follows the symbolic flag-off of the exercise along the Mushin–Agege Motor Road corridor on 14 March, ahead of its full implementation later this month.

The Lagos State Government had earlier announced the resumption of the sanitation programme, nearly a decade after it was suspended in November 2016 following a court ruling that restricted movement during the exercise.

Background

Announcing the policy in March, Mr Wahab explained the exercise would officially resume on 25 April and run on the last Saturday of every month within the same two-hour window.

“I am pleased to inform all Lagosians that the monthly environmental sanitation exercise will resume effective Saturday, 25th April 2026, holding on the last Saturday of every month from 6:30 a.m to 8:30 a.m.,” he said.

He added that residents are expected to participate actively. “During this period, residents are enjoined to clean their surroundings, clear drainage channels in their frontages, and dispose of waste properly as a civic responsibility,” he stated.

The commissioner stressed that the programme would be strictly enforced, describing it as a collective responsibility necessary for a cleaner city.

“This exercise is a collective responsibility and a vital part of our commitment to a cleaner, healthier, and flood-resilient Lagos. And it shall be backed with the full enforcement weight of the Lagos State Government,” he stressed.

He attributed the decision to revive the exercise to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, describing it as “a very audacious step” to restore environmental discipline.

“Let me formally say this and say it boldly. Mr Governor and his deputy are taking a very audacious step. For those who don’t know, before 2016, we had a culture that emphasised cleanliness as next to godliness,” Mr Wahab said.

He recalled that residents previously observed the exercise as a routine civic duty.

“Once every month, we took our time to clean up our surroundings and then keep them sparkling. However, for some years, we stopped it,” he said.

According to him, the suspension contributed to worsening environmental conditions.

“Now, waste and environmental challenges have become existential issues for us as a state. It has taken us over a year to debate, discuss and agree that it is time to reintroduce the monthly environmental sanitation,” he added.

Monthly environmental sanitation was previously observed across Lagos, with residents required to clean their surroundings while movement was restricted for several hours.

However, the programme was suspended in November 2016 after the state government said it would review environmental laws and adopt more modern waste management approaches suited to a fast-growing commercial hub.

Despite those reforms, challenges such as indiscriminate waste disposal, blocked drainage systems and flooding risks have persisted in parts of the state, prompting renewed calls for stronger community participation.

While some residents have welcomed the reintroduction of the exercise, saying it could improve environmental hygiene, others have raised concerns about enforcement.

They warned that movement restrictions could be abused and called for sustained public education on proper waste management.