Mixed reactions greet monthly sanitation reintroduction in Lagos

The reintroduced monthly environmental sanitation programme by the Lagos State Government poses more enforcement challenges without the holistic buy-in of the citizens.

The state government recently announced the reintroduction of a monthly sanitation scheme, which was suspended in 2016 following a court ruling.

According to the state government, the reintroduced monthly sanitation programme is expected to commence on Saturday, April 25, 2026. Unlike the former one, this time, it is not going to be enforced.

The state is banking on the buy-in of the people and their understanding that a cleaner environment is good for the health of all.

However, analysts are concerned about the modalities of the initiative, questioning if it would make an impact in a state where people are impatient, and many are angry at the way things are going in the country.

Mixed reactions trail government’s reintroduction of monthly sanitation

Residents of Lagos expressed divergent views following Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s decision to reintroduce the monthly environmental sanitation exercise, scheduled to resume on April 25, 2026.

The policy mandates residents to clean their surroundings, including drainages, gutters, and adjoining streets, on the last Saturday of every month between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.

According to the state government, the initiative is aimed at improving environmental hygiene, reducing flooding, and promoting a culture of cleanliness.

However, critics argue that compelling residents to stay indoors undermines personal freedoms and does not address the underlying issues of poor waste management and inadequate infrastructure.

While some residents welcomed the move, others raised concerns about enforcement, legality, and the state of waste management infrastructure.

Support for enforcement

For many Lagosians, enforcement remains key to achieving compliance. This is so because many Lagosians have not come to the realisation that governance is a joint effort between the government and the people.

“Without enforcement, people will not comply,” said Bose Adeyemi, a trader in Oshodi, adding that people dump refuse anywhere. “Government is trying, but citizens also have a role to play.”

A commercial driver, who simply identified as Musa at Mile 2, shared a similar view with Adeyemi. He said, “Blocked drainage is one of our biggest problems. If this sanitation will make people clean gutters, then it is necessary.”

A sanitation worker with the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), who preferred anonymity, also backed the policy. “We see what people dump daily—plastics, food waste, even furniture. One day in a month to clean is not too much,” he said.

“The almost 10-year hiatus has caused a visible degradation of sanitation in the state. More disturbing is the decline in the sense of responsibility towards the environment by the citizens,” Moses Lawal, a social commentator said.

According to him, the reintroduction of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise will help restore a cleaner environment and simultaneously reawaken Lagosians’ sense of responsibility to their environment.

“An environment you clean periodically will instinctively make you caring and protective of it,” Lawal said.

He is of the view that the state government can leverage on sensitization and persuasion to get the Lagosians to fully participate in the exercise.

“Participation in elections is not mandatory but people still participate because they know the importance,” he said.

According to Lawal, the same principle applies to religious activities. “If people understand why a process is necessary, they will participate without being forced,” he said.

Infrastructure deficit

Many Lagosians say the state government must urgently address the poor waste disposal system across the state and the collapse of infrastructure for that.

Others say experience in recent months where hemp of waste have taken over major roads, streets and market in strategy locations shows there is a visible challenge with infrastructure deficit.

However, some people argued that beyond the deficit, there is a need for the state to decentralize waste collection in the state. They argue that LAWMA can no longer be a regulator and player in the sector – hence the need for local authorities across the state to take ownership of waste management within their localities.

“Personally, I think the problem of waste collection goes beyond decentralization. The primary issues are funding/billing, attitude, and collection system upgrade,” Lawal said.

Effiong Okon, residence of Isolo, also argued that the focus should be on improving waste collection systems rather than enforcing periodic clean-ups.

“The PSP operators are no longer coming. I don’t know what is the problem, if you had come to my area in December/January there was hemp of wastes on major roads. I think the government should also address that”.

Similarly, Salami Lawal, banker pointed out that the problem is not that people do not want to clean, but that they have challenges with evaluation after each clean-up, especially where to keep the refuse.

“People are cleaning, my wife’s shop is here, and she cleans every time, even on Thursdays, but the LAWMA guys come when they like. They said “no vehicle or they have fuel issues, do you blame me for that”?

Michelle Lawson, a shop owner in Ajegunle, expressed frustration over irregular waste disposal services in his locality.

“Government should fix waste collection first. You cannot ask people to clean when the system is not working,” he said.

Ridwan Bello, an environmental activist, added that sustainable sanitation goes beyond monthly exercises.

“What Lagos needs is consistent waste management, recycling systems, and public education, not just symbolic exercises,” he said.

Concerns over rights and practicality

However, several residents questioned the practicality and legality of the exercise, especially if it involves restricting movement.

“I think it is no longer fashionable to keep people at home and say there should be no movement because you want them to clean,” said Seun Onakoya, a teacher. “It shows there is a deeper problem the government is not addressing,” he said.

A tech professional in Yaba, Laja Odun, described the policy as outdated. “You cannot run a modern city like Lagos with a sit-at-home directive. People work weekends, businesses operate. It affects productivity,” he said.

Femi Falana, human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), stated that reintroducing the rule was unconstitutional and contemptuous of a subsisting court judgment. He added that the policy was a relic of Nigeria’s military era and had no place in a democratic society governed by the rule of law.

“The decision of the Lagos State Government to reintroduce the sanitation exercise where the movement of Lagos residents is restricted for three hours during the last Saturday of every month is a sad reminder of one of the primitive legacies of the defunct military junta in Nigeria.”

The senior advocate stated that the measure was unjustifiable, especially in light of the substantial budgetary allocation to environmental management in the state. He noted that in the 2026 Appropriation Law of Lagos State, the government earmarked N236bn for the environment, including urban waste management and sanitation.

“The planned reintroduction of the monthly sanitation exercise cannot be justified in view of the fact that in the 2026 Appropriation Law of Lagos, the sum of N236bn was earmarked for the environment, including urban waste management and sanitation,” Falana stated.

He noted that members of the Lagos State House of Assembly had unanimously supported improved waste management systems, rather than movement restrictions. He therefore urged the government to invest in more efficient waste management strategies, instead of enforcing what could be called an illegal exercise.

“Instead of wasting precious time and resources on enforcing the illegal monthly sanitation exercise, the Lagos State Government ought to engage more cleaners and acquire mechanical sweepers for heavy debris and vacuum sweepers for fine dust and litter.”

Speaking in similar legal concerns, a lawyer based in Ikeja, Godwin Ukana, noted that previous court rulings had frowned upon compulsory movement restrictions.

“If enforcement goes beyond encouragement to coercion, it could raise constitutional issues,” she said.

Balancing responsibility and governance

Despite the differing views, many agreed that maintaining a clean environment requires both government intervention and citizen responsibility.

According to Lawal, the government should go beyond the declaration of monthly environmental sanitation to getting fully prepared to do their part.

“Prompt evacuation of dirt generated from aggregation points should be prioritized.

“A situation whereby such evacuations are delayed can be discouraging, and ultimately translate to a zero-sum game,” he said.

Lawal also urged Lagosians to also take ownership of caring for their immediate environment – adding that it should not be seen as ‘their’ but ‘our’ problem.

“For the citizens, that the declaration was loudly silent on restriction of movements (obviously to avoid legality intricacies) and compulsion of participation should not be seen as a license to ignore the exercise,” Lawal said.

Samuel Kehinde, a student in Ikorodu, said people should learn to keep their environment clean without being forced to do so, noting that the enforcement may be necessary because of the attitude of many Lagosians.

“Maybe compulsory enforcement is what some people would surely not do the right thing. I want the government to also carry out an enlightenment campaign too,” he said.

As Lagos prepares to implement the policy, the debate highlights a broader question: whether behavioral change in a complex megacity can be achieved through civic responsibility alone or requires structured enforcement backed by efficient public services.

Read also: Sanwo-Olu revives monthly environmental sanitation in Lagos 

Why the monthly sanitation was earlier suspended

The monthly sanitation exercise was officially suspended in November 2016, following a March 2015 Federal High Court ruling. The court ruled that the mandatory 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. lockdown (restriction of movement) was unconstitutional and could not be enforced by police.

Following the court ruling, then governor, Akinwunmi Ambode formally announced the cancellation of the monthly, mandatory cleanup exercise in November 2016.

“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,” Sanwo-Olu stated.

He however 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.

The state government felt that restricting movement is impacting the state economically and that it was no longer sustainable for a bustling 24-hour commercial hub. However, the state also wants Lagosians to commit to a cleaner Lagos, as the state transitions from forced, periodic cleanups to more modern, daily environmental management approaches.

But, the senior lawyer drew the state government’s attention to the case of Faith Okafor v. Lagos State Government, decided by the Court of Appeal in 2016.

In the case, a Lagos resident, Faith Okafor, was arrested on May 25, 2013, for allegedly violating the restriction of movement imposed during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise.

She was subsequently arraigned before a special offences court, where she pleaded guilty and was fined N2, 000 for wandering and loitering during the restricted period.

After paying the fine, Okafor approached the High Court of Lagos State to enforce her fundamental rights to dignity, personal liberty, and freedom of movement, but the court dismissed her application.

Dissatisfied with the ruling, she appealed, and the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, ruled in her favour, declaring the restriction illegal and unconstitutional. The appellate court held that a directive issued by a governor does not amount to a law and cannot justify the arrest, prosecution, or conviction of citizens.