Lagos monthly sanitation returns, residents charged to participate fully

After several years of suspension, the Lagos State government has reintroduced the monthly environmental sanitation exercise, which was held on Saturdays between the hours of 7 am and 10 am. It commences on Saturday, April 25, 2026.

The return of the monthly sanitation exercise was announced by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Saturday, March 14, when he led the Deputy Governor and other state officials to monitor and clean the environment at Agege Motor Road, Mushin.

A slight adjustment has been made in the timing of the sanitation exercise. Whereas the day remains Saturday, the time for the new order is 6.30 am to 8.30 am.

The change in timing must have been informed by complaints that trailed the timing of the old order, during which many residents noted that it was counter-productive in an economy like Lagos, which, according to them, is on a fast growth lane.

A statement signed by the commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, directs all residents to participate massively in the sanitation exercise billed to commence on April 25, 2026.

“Every resident is expected to clean his environment and clear the drains in front of his or her tenements before going out for other businesses on Saturday,” the commissioner directed, assuring that enough evacuation and compactor trucks have been mobilized across the state for the exercise.

He assured further that the state sanitation agency, LAWMA, will be strategically positioned to evacuate all solid waste and debris to the dumpsites immediately.

Wahab explained that to demonstrate the seriousness attached to the exercise, top government functionaries led by the First Lady, Claudiana Sanwo-Olu, supported by Committee of Wives of Lagos State officials (COWLSO), will be leading a team of officials to monitor the exercise.

He added that the Head of Service, Olabode Agoro, will also be leading another team of senior government officials to monitor the exercise in a separate local government area.

He recalled that, as a demonstration of support, major transport unions in the state have pledged not to deploy their vehicles on the roads from major parks during the sanitation exercise.

He disclosed that the state government’s decision to reintroduce the monthly exercise is a result of persistent clamour by residents who believe that a particular time and day should be set aside for all residents to clean their surroundings.

He urged community development associations (CDA) to work on their members all over the state to ensure the success of the exercise and reenact the symbolism which the monthly sanitation exercise represented before it was suspended.

Wahab stated that all local governments and LCDAs in the state and some private companies are fully on board for Saturday’s sanitation by providing tools and vehicles to cart away the refuse generated.

The Commissioner warned that environmental health officers and other enforcement officials at the state and local government levels would be deployed around the neighbourhoods to monitor the level of compliance.

“Health officers would not hesitate to issue abatement notices to houses and people who fail to participate in the exercise and would consequently have their dates in the courts of law as provided for under the 2017 Environmental Management law of Lagos State and associated legislations,” the commissioner stressed.