The Lagos State Government has announced plans to reintroduce the Monthly Environmental Sanitation Exercise to address rising sanitation problems across the city. This was revealed by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, during an inspection tour of key areas affected by poor sanitation, including Idi-Araba, Orile Iganmu, and Alaba Rago Market.
Wahab said the move is part of the state’s wider strategy to clean up Lagos, restore blocked drainage systems, and reduce the risk of flooding. He noted that while a specific date has not yet been fixed, a formal commencement of the exercise will be announced soon.
“The state understands the importance of sanitation and has resolved to restart the monthly environmental sanitation exercise. A formal start date will be made public shortly,” Wahab said.
During his tour, the commissioner decried the alarming level of illegal waste disposal in several communities. In Idi-Araba, he revealed that a cart-pushing syndicate was operating a disused dumpsite illegally, despite a state law banning such activities.
“There is a law against cart-pushing in Lagos. We have been enforcing this law in recent months and will now step up enforcement, especially in areas like Idi-Araba,” he warned.
At Alaba Rago Market, the team observed widespread environmental abuse. Traders were dumping waste on road medians, while some had extended their stalls onto roads and drainage paths. Wahab gave the traders a 24-hour ultimatum to clear the area or risk the market being shut down.
“They have turned the median into a dumpsite and blocked the drains. If they fail to clean it up by tomorrow evening, we will decide whether to seal the market,” Wahab added.
At Orile Iganmu, the state discovered severe blockages in the Iganmu Channel, caused by indiscriminate dumping of refuse. Wahab ordered the deployment of swamp buggies next week to clear the canal and allow the free flow of rainwater.
To improve waste collection, the Commissioner said that over 100 trucks from the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) have been mobilised to support areas where Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators are underperforming.
“You cannot refuse to pay for waste collection and then blame others when waste is everywhere. Every ward has a PSP assigned. Once residents pay, the PSP is expected to deliver,” he explained.
Wahab also urged Lagosians to stop patronising illegal cart pushers, use proper waste bags, and support government efforts to keep the environment clean.
He was joined on the inspection by senior officials including Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu (Special Adviser on Environment), Mahamood Adegbite (Permanent Secretary, Drainage Services), Muyiwa Gbadegesin (LAWMA MD), Major Olatunbosun Cole (KAI Corps Marshal, Rtd), and Adefemi Afolabi (LASWMO GM).
The inspection covered streets in Idi-Araba, Badagry Expressway, and Orile-Iganmu, as part of the government’s renewed push to improve environmental health in Lagos.
