Lagos State Government has warned residents across the state to take part fully in the monthly environmental sanitation exercise scheduled for Saturday, April 25, or face sanctions.

The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, gave the warning in a statement on Wednesday, urging residents in all five divisions of the state to remain at home between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. to clean their surroundings.

He said residents are expected to tidy their environment and clear drains in front of their homes before going about their daily activities.

Wahab noted that the government has made adequate arrangements for the exercise, with evacuation and compactor trucks deployed across the state.

He added that Lagos Waste Management Authority has been strategically positioned to promptly remove waste and debris collected during the exercise.

To ensure strict compliance, the commissioner said top government officials would be actively involved in monitoring activities across different locations.

According to him, the First Lady of Lagos State, Claudiana Sanwo-Olu, alongside members of the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO), will lead a monitoring team, while the Head of Service, Olabode Agoro, will supervise another team in a separate local government area.

Wahab also disclosed that major transport unions in the state have pledged to suspend operations during the sanitation period, as a show of support. He said no vehicles would be deployed from major parks and terminals between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. on Saturday.

He explained that the decision to revive the monthly sanitation exercise followed repeated calls from residents who believe a specific time should be set aside for collective environmental cleaning.

“Decision of the State Government to reintroduce the monthly exercise is a result of the persistent clamour of residents who believe that a particular time and day should be set aside for all residents to clean their surroundings,” Wahab said.

The commissioner further urged Community Development Associations (CDAs) across the state to mobilise residents and ensure the exercise is successful, stressing the need to restore the culture and value the sanitation exercise once represented.

Wahab added that local governments, local council development areas, and some private organisations have provided tools and vehicles to support waste collection during the exercise.

He warned that environmental health officers and other enforcement teams would be deployed across neighbourhoods to monitor compliance.

The commissioner stressed that defaulters would not be spared, noting that officers would issue compliance notices to residents who fail to participate, and such individuals would be prosecuted in line with the 2017 Environmental Management Law of Lagos State and other related laws.

“The health officers would not hesitate to issue abatement notices to houses and people who fail to participate in the exercise and would consequently have their dates in the courts of law as provided for under the 2017 Environmental Management law of Lagos State and associated legislations,” Wahab noted.

The monthly environmental sanitation exercise was reintroduced by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on March 14, when he led top government officials to monitor and clean parts of Agege Motor Road in Mushin.