June 02, (THEWILL) – The Lagos State Government has said it will reintroduce the suspended monthly environmental sanitation exercise as part of a broader strategy to promote a cleaner, safer, and flood-free Lagos.
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, made this known on Sunday during an inspection tour of some parts of the state.
Emphasising the need to make sanitation a daily culture in the state, Wahab said, “Lagos is strongly considering reintroducing the monthly environmental sanitation exercise. Once approved by the EXCO, the Governor will officially announce the re-launch. It’s long overdue.”
The monthly environmental sanitation, which previously held on the last Saturday of every month from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., was suspended in November 2016, with the government citing the challenges of restricting movement in a mega city. However, worsening waste management issues, including clogged drainage systems and indiscriminate dumping, have prompted calls for its return.
Indeed, Lagos has been battling key environmental waste management issues, which include irregular collection of waste, inadequate infrastructure and poor public participation, among others.
It lacks sufficient waste collection trucks, storage capacity and designated landfill sites.
Waste collection in the metropolis is often irregular and sporadic, leading to the accumulation of waste in residential and commercial areas.
Also, there are few, if any, recycling plants or companies to process recyclable materials, just as the presence of overflowing dumping sites, which are few and poorly managed, often leads to environmental contamination and increased health hazards.
We urge the state government to encourage public participation in and raise public awareness of its campaign to keep Lagos clean. Many residents are not aware of the importance of proper waste disposal and the consequences of mismanagement.
To effectively tackle environmental waste management issues the government should seriously consider investing in infrastructure: Buying more waste collection trucks, storage facilities and landfill sites, improving waste collection by establishing a more regular and efficient waste collection system.
Government should also promote recycling by encouraging recycling through public awareness campaigns and incentivizing recycling initiatives.
It should henceforth involve residents in waste management decision-making and promoting responsible waste disposal habits.
Enforcing regulations and penalties for improper waste disposal can go a long way to produce the desired response from residents. This is important.
Government can also consider creating a waste management policy framework and utilise technology to optimise waste collection, sorting, and recycling. About time indeed to bring back environmental sanitation in Lagos.
