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By Lukman Olabiyi
The Lagos State Government has introduced a cleanliness competition among the 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas (LCDAs), with the aim of identifying and rewarding the cleanest council in the state.
The initiative is part of efforts to strengthen environmental sanitation, discourage indiscriminate waste disposal and promote healthier communities across Lagos.
The Wife of the Governor, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, disclosed this while monitoring the monthly environmental sanitation exercise in Ikorodu, where she urged residents to sustain the cleanliness drive beyond the last Saturday of every month.
She challenged Ikorodu residents to intensify their sanitation efforts and position the area to emerge as the cleanest council in the state.
Sanwo-Olu commended the turnout and active participation of residents, particularly children, youths, market traders and environmental sanitation workers, who came out early to clean their surroundings.
She stressed that public sensitisation must remain central to the campaign, noting that changing people’s attitudes towards environmental cleanliness required sustained engagement and collective commitment.
According to her, residents must embrace proper sanitation practices in their homes, schools, markets and communities, adding that keeping Lagos clean could not be left to the government alone.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab; the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Mr Tunbosun Ogunbanwo; and members of the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO) also participated in the exercise.
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Meanwhile, the state government has warned residents against dumping refuse into canals and drainage channels, saying the practice obstructs water flow, undermines sanitation efforts and heightens the risk of flooding.
The Head of Service, Mr Bode Agoro, gave the warning during the October edition of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise, describing indiscriminate waste disposal as a major obstacle to the state’s efforts to maintain a clean and flood-resilient environment.
Agoro, who noted that the October exercise was the seventh since the initiative resumed in March, urged local government chairmen and their executives to intensify community mobilisation and ensure greater public participation.
He expressed concern that government officials had observed some residents dumping refuse into canals during the exercise, despite ongoing public enlightenment campaigns.
He said the Ministry of the Environment had been notified to clear the affected canals, while arrangements were being made to reconstruct one of the canals in the area in consultation with the relevant drainage authorities.
However, he cautioned that government intervention would amount to little if residents continued to dump refuse indiscriminately into drainage channels.
The Chairman of Ikeja Local Government, Mr Akeem Dauda, said the council had been sensitising residents across communities on the dangers of indiscriminate waste disposal, particularly the blockage of canals and drainage infrastructure.
Dauda commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for sustaining the monthly sanitation exercise, describing it as an important platform for mobilising residents and promoting environmental responsibility.
The sanitation exercise in Ikeja covered Onilekere Street, Saidu Street, Olumo Street, Ijesha Close and Olúkòyí Street.
