LAGOS, Nigeria — Authorities in Lagos State, Nigeria’s commercial capital, have announced the return of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise nearly nine years after it was suspended following a court ruling that barred restrictions on movement during the activity.
The announcement was made on Saturday by Tokunbo Wahab, who said the programme will officially resume on April 25.
The development came shortly after Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy Obafemi Hamzat participated in symbolic street cleaning activities to mark the return of the sanitation initiative.
Okay News reports that the monthly sanitation exercise was halted in November 2016 after a ruling by the Court of Appeal of Nigeria, which held that restricting residents’ movement during the exercise violated constitutional rights to personal liberty and freedom of movement.
Before the suspension, residents across Lagos were required to remain within their neighbourhoods while cleaning their surroundings on the last Saturday of every month between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.
Under the new arrangement announced by the state government, the exercise will now take place on the last Saturday of each month between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.
Wahab said the initiative is intended to encourage residents to maintain cleaner neighbourhoods and reduce environmental risks such as flooding caused by blocked drainage systems.
“During this period, residents are enjoined to clean their surroundings, clear drainage channels in their frontages, and dispose of waste properly as a civic responsibility,” Wahab said.
“This exercise is a collective responsibility and a vital part of our commitment to a cleaner, healthier and flood-resilient Lagos. It will be backed with the full enforcement weight of the Lagos State Government.”
According to the commissioner, the decision to revive the sanitation programme followed extensive consultations among government agencies and stakeholders.
Wahab described the move as an “audacious step” by the state government, adding that authorities spent more than a year reviewing the policy and discussing how best to reintroduce it without violating legal provisions.
