Following a hiatus of eight years, the monthly environmental sanitation program has been reinstated in Lagos State.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has given his approval for the program’s reintroduction, as confirmed by the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab.
The State Executive Council also endorsed the decision. While the program is set to commence in July, the official announcement from the governor is pending.
“Lagos governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the state executive council have approved the re-introduction of the monthly sanitation.
“The governor will announce it officially for the exercise to commence this month,” Wahab, who spoke in Yoruba language, said in a 21-second clip shared on the Lagos State Environmental Update page on X.
According to Naijatraffic, the monthly environmental sanitation exercise was discontinued in Lagos State in 2016.
The government explained that the exercise, which previously held for three hours on the last Saturday of each month with movement restrictions, was suspended to make way for necessary reforms.
This decision was made following a resolution passed at the State Executive Council meeting, as announced by the then Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Steve Ayorinde.
“Lagos has grown exponentially with the attendant environmental problems associated with managing 20 million people. The environmental laws and procedures being practised in the state have not been able to match the growth and the dream of a 24-hour economy,” Ayorinde had highlighted.
The reintroduction of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise in Lagos may be linked to the recent severe flooding that affected various parts of the city following persistent rainfall.
On July 3, 2024, a 10-hour downpour brought Lagos and Ogun states to a standstill, halting business and commercial activities.
The resulting floodwaters caused widespread destruction, including the collapse of a two-storey building in Mushin, gridlocked roads, and displacement of thousands of residents.
While the Lagos State Government reported the rain lasted for nine hours, some areas experienced rainfall for 12 hours, from midnight to noon, including Berger, Ikeja, Ogba, and other parts where the rain persisted for 10 hours.
Our correspondents observed extensive flooding in areas like Iyana-Oworo, Agege, Ijegun-Isheri Osun, Gbagada, and Lagos Island, with roads and houses submerged. Other areas affected by the flooding included Eredo, Bojije, Epe, Sangotedo, Ibeju-Lekki, Awoyaya, Labora, and Abijon.
