The Lagos State Government has unveiled plans to launch a state-wide cleanliness competition across all 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), aimed at driving community-led environmental hygiene and recognizing the cleanest localities in the state.
Wife of the Lagos State Governor, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, announced the initiative on Saturday during the monthly environmental sanitation monitoring exercise for October in Ikorodu. This marked the seventh monthly cleanup since the initiative resumed in March, during which she strongly defended the relevance of the monthly exercise against public criticism.
Simultaneously in the Ikeja Local Government Area, the Head of Service, Mr. Bode Agoro, issued a stern warning to residents against dumping waste into canals and drainage channels. He cautioned that the illegal practice severely threatens public sanitation and heightens the risk of flash flooding across the state. Agoro was accompanied by the chairman of Ikeja Local Government Area, Akeem Olalekan Dauda, and other executive members of the council.
Sanwo-Olu expressed satisfaction with the high level of community participation and environmental standards observed along major roads and commercial hubs in Ikorodu. Highlighting the early turnout of young residents, waste management crews, traffic officers, and traditional leaders, she noted that citizens had been cleaning since 6:00 a.m. alongside personnel from the Lagos Waste Management Authority.
What did the First Lady say about the upcoming competition?
Challenging Ikorodu residents to sustain the momentum and aim for top honours in the upcoming council-wide competition, Mrs. Sanwo-Olu urged residents to embrace hygiene as a daily routine rather than a monthly obligation. She stated that all local governments would participate and that the cleanest environment in Lagos would be announced soon.
Addressing public debates questioning the necessity of the monthly sanitation exercise, the First Lady dismissed claims that the program wastes state resources. She likened the recurring exercise to mandatory pre-flight safety briefings on commercial airlines, emphasizing that continuous awareness is necessary despite initial challenges.
Why are officials worried about drainage systems?
During the exercise in Ikeja, officials reported witnessing residents discarding refuse directly into local waterways. Agoro stated that while the Ministry of the Environment has been alerted to clear the clogged channels and plans are being drawn up to reconstruct key infrastructure, engineering solutions will fail if indiscriminate waste disposal persists.
Dauda noted that local authorities are actively conducting awareness campaigns to curb illegal dumping and commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for maintaining the monthly sanitation schedule to foster community accountability. The cleanup operations in Ikeja covered key corridors, including Onilekere Street, Saidu Street, Olumo Street, Ijesha Close, and Olukoyi Street.