UPDATED: LAGOS FIRST LADY LEADS SANITATION IN IKOYI-OBALENDE AS STATE MOVES TO REWARD CLEANEST LG MONTHLY (VIDEO)

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By ‘Sefiu Ajape

The First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, on Saturday led the monthly environmental sanitation exercise in Ikoyi-Obalende, describing residents’ response as encouraging and reflective of growing environmental awareness across the state.

The exercise is scheduled to be held on the last Saturday of every month between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. across the state.

Speaking during the exercise, she noted that participation had been significant, especially as it marked the first full implementation following its reintroduction.

“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.

Sanwo-Olu observed that residents largely adhered to sanitation guidelines, with minimal commercial activity recorded during the exercise.

“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 Lagos residents to embrace daily sanitation habits, stressing that maintaining a clean environment should not be limited to the monthly exercise.

The First Lady also highlighted the deliberate involvement of students, noting that the initiative was aimed at instilling environmental consciousness in younger generations.

“We brought students in to catch them young and build a culture of cleanliness among the younger generation,” she said.

Also speaking during the monitoring of the exercise, the Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, said the government would introduce incentives to reward the cleanest local government after each monthly sanitation exercise.

He explained that the initiative is designed to promote healthy competition among local governments and encourage sustained cleanliness across the state.

“After today’s exercise, we will assess all local governments and announce the cleanest among them for recognition within the week,” Wahab said.

The commissioner, who monitored the exercise alongside other government officials, commended residents for their high level of compliance, estimating it at over 98 percent.

“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 noted that the voluntary participation and restriction of vehicular movement reflected a shared commitment to keeping 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 added that the monthly sanitation exercise is part of efforts to rebuild a culture of environmental responsibility among residents.

“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.

Addressing concerns over movement restrictions, he said existing court judgments support the state’s authority but emphasised that the government has opted for voluntary compliance.

“We have favourable judgments affirming our powers, but we chose to build community ownership rather than enforce strict restrictions,” Wahab said.

See video below: