The Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, says the government will introduce incentives to reward the cleanest local government after each month’s environmental sanitation exercise.
Wahab spoke on Saturday while monitoring the newly reintroduced environmental sanitation exercise around Obalende in the Ikoyi area.
The exercise is scheduled to hold on the last Saturday of every month between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.
Commending residents for their level of compliance, Wahab said the incentive was designed to encourage healthy competition among local governments.
“After today’s exercise, we will assess all local governments and announce the cleanest among them for recognition within the week,” the commissioner said.
He called for sustained commitment to cleanliness across the state, noting that turnout and voluntary participation reflected a shared resolve to keep Lagos clean and safe.
“Commercial vehicles stayed off the roads and residents complied because they want to keep Lagos clean and safe.
“We thank Lagos residents, the state government, the deputy governor, and all stakeholders, including local government chairmen, who ensured that the message got to the grassroots,” he said.
Wahab described the level of compliance as impressive, estimating it at over 98 per cent.
“You have seen the level of compliance yourself. It is mind-blowing and shows that Lagos residents have been waiting for this,” he said.
He said the monthly exercise was aimed at rebuilding a culture of environmental responsibility.
“The idea is to build a culture of giving just 120 minutes in a month, which is not too much, to clean the environment and make Lagos clean and safe,” he said.
On legal concerns regarding restriction of movement, he said existing court judgments affirmed the state’s authority, but added that the government had chosen to prioritise voluntary compliance.
“We have favourable judgments affirming our powers, but we chose to build community ownership rather than enforce strict restrictions,” Wahab said.
Also speaking, the wife of the governor, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, described the exercise as encouraging, noting that it recorded significant participation across the state.
“The exercise this morning is encouraging. It was flagged off last month and this is the first full implementation.
“We have seen residents come out to participate. It is a gradual process, but the response has been positive,” she said.
She said residents adhered to sanitation guidelines, with minimal commercial activity observed.
“People complied with the directive. Vendors did not display their goods and only those cleaning their environment were visible.
“For a first-time exercise, I am impressed with the level of compliance,” she said.
She urged residents to adopt daily sanitation habits rather than relying solely on the monthly exercise.
Sanwo-Olu said students were deliberately involved to instil environmental consciousness early in life.
“We brought students in to catch them young and build a culture of cleanliness among the younger generation,” she said.