Published by Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Lagos State Government has issued a stern warning to residents and business owners ahead of the resumption of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise on Saturday, April 25, 2026, clarifying that enforcement teams will conduct physical inspections and defaulters will face sanctions under the state's environmental laws. The exercise, which will hold on the last Saturday of every month from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., marks the return of a programme suspended nearly a decade ago following a court ruling that restricted movement during sanitation hours. In a statement on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, outlined the modalities for the exercise, stating that controlled movement will be enforced across the state during the two-hour window to allow residents to carry out thorough cleaning of their homes, surroundings, and drainage frontages. He warned that enforcement teams comprising officials of the ministry, the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI), the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), and local government sanitation inspectors will conduct physical inspections during and after the sanitation window to ensure compliance. "Defaulters will be sanctioned in accordance with the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law of 2017," Wahab stated.
The clarification comes amid mixed reactions from residents who have expressed concerns about potential abuse of enforcement powers and the effectiveness of a programme that was discontinued in November 2016 after a Federal High Court ruling declared the restriction of movement during the former three-hour exercise illegal. At the time, Justice Mohammed Idris held that Nigeria's Constitution guarantees citizens freedom of movement, which cannot be taken away by state directives. The Sanwo-Olu administration has since redesigned the exercise to address those legal concerns, with the government repeatedly emphasising that the goal is voluntary civic participation rather than punitive enforcement. However, Wahab's latest statement confirming that defaulters will be sanctioned under the 2017 environmental law suggests a more stringent approach than previously indicated, creating some ambiguity about the government's final position on enforcement.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu first announced the revival of the monthly sanitation exercise in March 2026, flagging it off along the Mushin–Agege Motor Road corridor. At the flag-off, the governor decried the level of filth in some parts of the state and described the exercise as a defining moment for Lagos. "This monthly exercise used to be a national pride," Sanwo-Olu said. "A clean city is built by the people who live in it." The exercise is designed to address the mounting environmental challenges facing Africa's largest megacity, which generates an estimated 13,000 to 14,000 tonnes of waste daily. Rapid urbanisation, population growth, and changing consumption patterns have placed enormous pressure on waste management systems, leading to clogged drainage channels, increased flooding during rainy seasons, and the proliferation of illegal dumping sites. The reintroduction of the monthly sanitation is part of a broader strategy to shift from a linear waste system to a circular economy where waste becomes a resource.
To encourage participation, the state government has introduced a reward system for the cleanest local government areas and local council development areas. Wahab disclosed that the cleanest council will receive a cash prize of up to N10 million, with the award to be presented monthly and publicised in the media. The incentive is aimed at motivating council chairmen to take ownership of the exercise and drive compliance at the grassroots level. During a strategic meeting with the chairmen of all 57 LGAs and LCDAs in Alausa, Wahab urged them to educate residents about the dangers of improper waste disposal, including disposing of waste on open spaces, roads, medians, drainages, and canals. He reminded them that markets across Lagos already participate in a Thursday sanitation exercise between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m., and that the same culture should be extended to residential areas. The Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs, and Rural Development, Bolaji Roberts, also sought the chairmen's support, urging them to own the initiative and ensure the consensus of people in their communities.
The Lagos Waste Management Authority has been at the forefront of public awareness campaigns, using its official X handle to remind residents of their responsibility. In a statement shared on Monday, LAWMA announced that the exercise would take place statewide between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., emphasising that the two-hour period is dedicated to cleaning surroundings and ensuring proper waste disposal. "Monthly sanitation exercise commences on Saturday 25th April from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. across the state," the statement read. "This is a reminder that sanitation is everyone's responsibility. Residents are encouraged to clean their surroundings, dispose waste properly, and support efforts to keep our environment clean and safe." LAWMA also confirmed that its intervention trucks will go around to cart away bagged wastes generated during the exercise, and that licensed Private Sector Participants (PSP) operators will handle waste disposal across all local government areas.
The Lagos State Task Force on Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Enforcement Unit has also indicated its readiness to enforce the exercise. Its chairman, CSP Adetayo Akerele, disclosed during a parley with journalists that the task force will be fully active and involved in ensuring compliance. The task force is responsible for conducting raids to rid black spots of criminal elements, dislodging street traders, and checkmating open defecation and urination, among other duties. Akerele noted that the primary duty of the task force is to make Lagos environmentally safe and convenient for all residents, and that the reintroduction of the monthly sanitation exercise aligns with that mandate.
The resumption of the monthly sanitation exercise has elicited a range of reactions from civil society and residents. Some have welcomed the move, arguing that it will curb indiscriminate waste disposal, reduce flooding, and restore cleanliness across the state. Others have expressed reservations, warning that movement restrictions could be misused by law enforcement officials for extortion. Human rights lawyer Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, who successfully challenged the legality of movement restrictions during the former sanitation exercise in 2015, has previously called for a voluntary approach that prioritises education and sensitisation over coercion. The state government has attempted to address these concerns by emphasising the voluntary nature of the exercise and its focus on collective responsibility rather than punishment. However, the government has also made it clear that environmental laws will be enforced, and that those who flout the regulations will face sanctions.
As Lagos prepares for the first monthly sanitation exercise in nearly a decade, all eyes will be on the enforcement teams and the response of residents. The success of the initiative will depend on a delicate balance between education and enforcement, between government responsibility and civic participation. For a city of over 20 million people, the challenge is immense. But as Governor Sanwo-Olu has often said, a clean Lagos is not just the government's responsibility; it is the collective duty of every resident. The April 25 exercise will be the first test of that collective will.
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