The Lagos State Government has reintroduced its monthly environmental sanitation exercise, ending a suspension that lasted close to a decade.
Residents across different parts of the state took part in the exercise on Saturday, with noticeable participation in areas such as Ikoyi, Obalende, and Ikorodu, where people were seen cleaning their surroundings and clearing waste in their communities.
The exercise, which is now scheduled to hold for two hours, will run between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., marking a reduction from the earlier three-hour timeframe of 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
The programme was initially suspended in 2016 following a court decision that declared the restriction of movement during the sanitation period unconstitutional. Its reinstatement now comes with revised guidelines aimed at balancing environmental cleanliness with residents’ mobility.
Before the resumption, the state government had explained that movement would be regulated during the sanitation hours to allow residents carry out proper cleaning of their homes, surroundings, and drainage channels.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, clarified that the exercise will now be observed on the last Saturday of every month.
He noted that following the symbolic flag-off of the monthly sanitation exercise along the Mushin–Agege Motor Road corridor on March 14, 2026, the state was fully prepared for the first official run on April 25, 2026.
According to him, “The exercise will hold every last Saturday of the month between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. During this period, there will be controlled movement across the state to allow residents to carry out thorough cleaning of their homes, surroundings and drainage frontages.”
The government maintained that the initiative is part of efforts to improve environmental hygiene and promote cleaner communities across Lagos State.
