Lagos Reintroduces Monthly Sanitation Exercise, Warns Residents Ahead of April 25 Rollout

The Lagos State Government has provided further clarification on the return of its monthly environmental sanitation exercise, urging residents to prepare for full compliance ahead of its resumption scheduled for April 25, 2026.

In a statement released on Wednesday, April 22, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, announced that the exercise will now hold on the last Saturday of every month from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. During this period, movement across the state will be restricted to allow residents carry out cleaning of homes, surroundings, and drainage areas.

He explained that enforcement will be carried out by joint teams drawn from the Ministry of Environment, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, Kick Against Indiscipline, Lagos Waste Management Authority, and local government sanitation inspectors. According to him, the teams will conduct inspections during and after the sanitation window to ensure compliance, adding that offenders will face penalties under the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law of 2017.

Wahab also noted that LAWMA will deploy waste collection trucks to evacuate bagged refuse generated during the exercise. He further announced that incentives will be introduced to reward the cleanest Local Government Area, Local Council Development Area, and streets as part of efforts to encourage community participation and healthy competition.

Residents were urged to support the initiative and take responsibility for maintaining a cleaner environment, with the commissioner stressing the importance of collective action in building a more sustainable city.

The clarification follows the symbolic launch of the programme along the Mushin–Agege Motor Road axis on March 14, ahead of its full implementation.

The sanitation exercise is being reintroduced nearly ten years after it was suspended in November 2016 following a court ruling that limited restrictions on movement during such periods.

Reactions from residents have been mixed—while some welcome the move as a step toward addressing waste management and flooding challenges, others have expressed concerns over enforcement practices and potential abuse of movement restrictions, calling instead for stronger public awareness campaigns on proper waste disposal.