The Lagos State Government has announced the full return of its monthly environmental sanitation exercise, set to begin on Saturday, April 25, 2026, with strict enforcement measures, restricted movement, and penalties for defaulters.
The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, noting that the exercise will now hold on the last Saturday of every month between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.
He explained that during the two-hour window, movement across the state will be restricted to allow residents to clean their homes, surroundings, and drainage channels effectively.
According to him, “The exercise will hold every last Saturday of the month between 6:30 am and 8:30 am,” adding that enforcement teams would be deployed across the state to ensure compliance.
Wahab said the enforcement will involve officials from relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Environment, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, Kick Against Indiscipline, Lagos Waste Management Authority, and local government sanitation inspectors.
He warned that monitoring would not end during the sanitation period, stating that inspections would continue after the exercise window and that offenders would be sanctioned under the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law of 2017.
“Defaulters will be sanctioned in line with the law,” he cautioned.
The commissioner also revealed that LAWMA would deploy trucks to collect properly bagged waste generated during the exercise to prevent indiscriminate dumping.
He added that the government will introduce incentives to encourage compliance, including awards for the cleanest Local Government Areas, Local Council Development Areas, and streets.
“There will be rewards for the cleanest LGAs, LCDAs, and streets to encourage community participation,” he said.
Wahab urged residents to actively support the initiative, stressing that environmental cleanliness requires collective responsibility.
“We urge all residents to take ownership of this exercise and work with the government toward a cleaner and safer Lagos,” he added.
The policy follows the symbolic launch of the sanitation exercise along the Mushin–Agege corridor earlier in March and comes nearly a decade after the programme was suspended in 2016 due to legal restrictions on movement during such periods.
While some residents have welcomed the initiative as a step toward reducing flooding and improving hygiene, others have expressed concern over possible abuse of movement restrictions and called for stronger public enlightenment on waste management practices.
