Sanwo-Olu’s wife urges Lagosians to make clean environment daily habit

Lagos State First Lady, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, has called on residents to embrace environmental cleanliness as a daily responsibility, saying sustained public participation is critical to building a cleaner and healthier state.

Speaking during the July edition of the state’s monthly environmental sanitation exercise in Eputu London, Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area, on Saturday, Sanwo-Olu commended residents for demonstrating increased environmental awareness by beginning cleanup activities days before the official exercise.

She described the development as evidence that the state’s sustained advocacy on environmental sanitation is producing positive behavioural change.

“We are very proud of our people. When we arrived in Eputu London, we discovered that residents had already started cleaning their environment three days before the exercise.

“They did not wait until the last Saturday of the month. That shows that people are becoming more conscious of their environment and are taking ownership of it,” she said.

Despite the rainy season and flooding in some parts of Lagos, the First Lady praised the impressive turnout of residents, particularly schoolchildren, many of whom joined the exercise as early as 6:30 a.m.

She stressed the importance of instilling environmental values in young people, describing them as future custodians of a cleaner Lagos.

“We are catching them young. These children have been here very early this morning because whatever values we pass on to them today, they will continue in the future.

“By the grace of God, from next month, students of tertiary institutions will also participate. This is a collective responsibility,” she added.

Sanwo-Olu encouraged Lagosians to continue participating in the monthly sanitation exercise, held on the last Saturday of every month between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., while maintaining good sanitation practices throughout the month.

Government Expands Waste Management Infrastructure

Also speaking, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said the state government was accelerating investments in waste management infrastructure to improve refuse collection and disposal across Lagos.

He disclosed that work was ongoing at the Olusosun waste management facility, where a waste transfer loading station and a material recovery facility are being developed to enhance waste processing capacity.

Wahab said the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), in collaboration with Private Sector Participant (PSP) operators, was strengthening waste collection services, while government continued public enlightenment campaigns to promote responsible waste disposal.

“The ultimate goal is to ensure efficient waste management across the state. LAWMA and PSP operators are putting in significant effort, but residents must also take ownership of the process,” he said.

The commissioner warned residents against dumping refuse on road medians, drainage channels and other public spaces, noting that such practices undermine the state’s environmental objectives.

He urged residents experiencing challenges with waste collection services to report them to LAWMA instead of disposing of refuse indiscriminately.

“If residents are paying for waste collection services, service providers must deliver. Where there are lapses, people should contact LAWMA so that appropriate action can be taken,” he said.

Wahab added that while public advocacy would remain the government’s primary approach, sanctions would continue to be imposed on persistent environmental offenders.

“Advocacy remains our first approach, but sanctions will be applied where necessary,” he stated.

In Badagry Local Government Area, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment and Water Resources, Engr. Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, led a parallel sanitation exercise, reaffirming the government’s resolve to eliminate indiscriminate waste disposal and other environmental violations.

He commended Community Development Associations (CDAs) and Community Development Committees (CDCs) for their participation and said involving students in the monthly sanitation programme was a deliberate strategy to nurture a new generation of environmental stewards.

“The involvement of students is deliberate. We want to catch them young and groom them as environmental champions who will protect the future of Lagos,” Akodu said.