LAGOS/Nigeria: Residents across Lagos State on Saturday participated in the May edition of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise, with the state government expressing satisfaction over the growing level of compliance and pledging to intensify public enlightenment efforts to sustain the momentum.
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, made the assertion after monitoring the exercise at Orisumbare, Shasha, in Alimosho Local Government Area alongside the First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. (Mrs.) Claudiana Sanwo-Olu, saying the increasing participation by residents was an encouraging sign of renewed environmental consciousness.
Wahab noted that despite the recent celebration of a major festival, many residents still turned out to clean their surroundings, describing the development as a positive indication that the culture of environmental responsibility was gradually taking root.
The commissioner, who monitored the exercise alongside the member representing Alimosho Constituency in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Lukmon Orelope, Special Adviser on Environment, Engr. Kunle Rotimi-Akodu, and other senior government officials, said the sanitation programme was yielding positive results despite having been suspended for nearly a decade.
According to him, an assessment of the first two editions of the exercise showed that residents were increasingly embracing the initiative, while government agencies were also stepping up efforts to ensure its success.
Addressing complaints by residents over irregular refuse collection by Private Sector Participation (PSP) waste operators, Wahab assured that the government was taking the concerns seriously and would engage stakeholders to address the challenges affecting waste evacuation.
He explained that Alimosho, being one of the largest local government areas in both Lagos State and the country, presents unique waste management challenges, adding that the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) would convene a meeting with PSP operators to identify and resolve operational bottlenecks.
The commissioner commended the Alimosho Local Government Chairman, Mr. Johnson Akinpelumi, for supporting waste management efforts through the provision of two compactor trucks to complement LAWMA’s operations in the area.
On the state’s planned reward scheme for the cleanest local government area, Wahab disclosed that the initiative remained on course, noting that officials were currently collating performance data and that the outcome of the assessment would be announced in due course.
Meanwhile, the Head of Service, Mr. Olabode Agoro, who led another monitoring team to Apapa Local Government Area, said public acceptance of the sanitation exercise was steadily improving and stressed the need for sustained advocacy to institutionalise a culture of cleanliness among residents.
“We must keep pushing in order for residents to know that government is serious; nobody would like to live in a dirty environment because it is a breeding ground for diseases,” Agoro stated.
He added that the government’s objective was to encourage voluntary participation in the exercise, stressing that a cleaner environment would ultimately translate into healthier communities and improved public well-being.
Agoro also commended the leadership of Apapa Local Government for its cooperation and support, emphasizing that the success of the monthly sanitation programme requires collective effort from government, communities and residents across the state.
The May sanitation exercise was monitored by top government officials, permanent secretaries, agency heads and local government executives as part of efforts to reinforce environmental sustainability and improve public health across Lagos State.
