Lagos Government Clarifies Status of Monthly Sanitation Exercise
The Lagos State Government has officially denied circulating reports claiming the resumption of its monthly environmental sanitation exercise. The clarification was issued by the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, who stated that no official commencement date has been announced. This denial addresses significant public interest in the state’s waste management strategies, which has intensified alongside concerns over clogged drains and indiscriminate refuse disposal.
Commissioner Wahab explained that stakeholder engagements are currently ongoing to determine a suitable and effective schedule for the exercise. The monthly sanitation, historically held on the last Saturday of each month, was suspended in November 2016 following a legal ruling against the restriction of movement. Despite the suspension, the state government has repeatedly expressed intentions to revive the program, with announcements noted in both 2024 and as recently as June 2025. During these announcements, Wahab emphasized that sanitation should be a sustained lifestyle, not a seasonal campaign, urging residents to support the vision for a cleaner Lagos.
Calls for the exercise’s return have grown louder in recent years, driven by worsening environmental challenges. Issues such as blocked drainage channels and rampant refuse dumping contribute directly to flood risks and public health hazards. The situation underscores a broader need for consistent environmental policy, a challenge not unique to Lagos, as seen in sectors like aeropolitics: without policy backing, initiatives often struggle to gain traction. While the monthly exercise remains on hold, the state continues to implement complementary waste management strategies, including enhanced refuse collection, drainage maintenance, and public education campaigns aimed at mitigating sanitation and flood risks.
This focus on environmental management occurs within a complex national economic landscape, where other sectors face their own pressures. For instance, while Lagos debates sanitation schedules, events like Presco shares hitting new valuations or the Nigerian Exchange sheds points reflect the volatile interplay of market forces. Similarly, discussions on Nigeria’s crude oil production or traditional governance, such as a Kwara monarch addressing community issues, highlight the multifaceted challenges of governance and development. The Lagos government’s current stance reaffirms that any resumption of the sanitation exercise will follow a formal, structured announcement after concluding necessary consultations with all relevant stakeholders.
