Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has officially launched the reintroduction of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise in Lagos, announcing that the initiative will begin in April.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ engagement on environmental sanitation on Saturday, the governor said the exercise would hold on the last Saturday of every month between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the exercise is being revived as part of efforts to promote a cleaner and healthier environment across the state.
Sanwo-Olu emphasised that the initiative was not driven by politics but by the need to protect public health and encourage civic responsibility among residents.
He explained that the exercise would be implemented across all parts of the state to strengthen environmental awareness and participation.
The governor stressed that government efforts alone could not guarantee a clean city without the active involvement of residents.
“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 noted that the condition of streets, markets, drainage channels and public spaces largely reflected the everyday habits of residents.
He added that effective environmental management must rely on shared responsibility rather than 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 NAN reports that Lagos suspended the monthly sanitation exercise in November 2016 following a ruling by the Federal High Court in March 2015.
The court declared that restricting movement between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. during the sanitation period violated citizens’ constitutional right to freedom of movement.
Authorities had also argued that such restrictions were impractical for a megacity like Lagos. Former governor Akinwunmi Ambode subsequently announced the cancellation of the compulsory clean-up exercise in 2016.
Sanwo-Olu recalled that the sanitation programme had once been a nationwide civic culture observed on the last Saturday of every month, with residents voluntarily cleaning their surroundings in support of public health.
“Although a court judgement 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.
He explained that the symbolic flag-off was aimed at reviving the culture of sanitation through awareness, partnerships and voluntary participation rather than strict enforcement or punishment.
The governor also assured residents that the state government would continue to improve waste management systems, infrastructure and training, while supporting environmental enforcement agencies.
“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.
Sanwo-Olu condemned the indiscriminate dumping of refuse such as water sachets, plastic bottles and wrappers into drainage systems, warning that the practice contributes to flooding and damages road infrastructure.
He explained that blocked drainage channels often lead to repeated road failures, even after repairs are carried out.
“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.
The governor noted that some roads rehabilitated by contractors had deteriorated again because drains were filled with refuse.
He therefore called on community development associations, market leaders, youth groups, religious institutions, political organisations and community development committees (CDCs) to take responsibility for maintaining environmental cleanliness.
“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.
Sanwo-Olu added that political offices and leadership roles are temporary, but the wellbeing of communities remains a lasting priority.
“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, Tokunbo Wahab, praised the governor for reviving the sanitation exercise.
Wahab described the move as a significant step towards restoring the long-standing culture of cleanliness in Lagos.
He explained that before 2016, residents across the state regularly devoted time each month to cleaning their surroundings and promoting healthier 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 disclosed that the reintroduction of the programme followed more than a year of consultations with stakeholders in the environmental management sector.
“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 dedicating one or two hours every month to cleaning their homes, streets, businesses and neighbourhoods.
“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 Lagos already observe weekly sanitation every Thursday between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., adding that the monthly exercise would extend similar discipline to communities statewide.
Wahab also explained that Lagos was transitioning from a linear waste management system to a circular model that treats waste as a valuable resource.
According to him, the approach would enable the conversion of waste into energy, compost, fertiliser and recyclable materials while 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.
He thanked stakeholders, environmental agencies, private operators and community groups for their support, stressing that collaboration would be key to the programme’s success.
“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.
Among those present at the sensitisation programme were Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, Head of Service Bode Agoro and Chief of Staff Tayo Ayinde.
