Lagos Intensifies Waste Collection, Warns Against Dumping Refuse In Canals

Amid the mounting waste crisis in the state, the Lagos State Government on Saturday intensified waste collection, urging residents to stop dumping refuse into canals and drainage channels.

The state government, during the exercise led by the wife of Lagos State Governor, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, in the Ajina area of Ikorodu Local Government, and the Head of Service, Mr Bode Agoro, in the Ikeja area of the state, warned that the practice undermines sanitation efforts and increases the risk of flooding.

The wife of the Lagos State Governor, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, disclosed this while monitoring the monthly environmental sanitation exercise in Ikorodu.

The governor’s wife urged residents of Ikorodu to sustain the exercise beyond the last Saturday of every month and work towards emerging as the cleanest Local Government Area in the state.

She emphasised that continuous public sensitisation remains essential for promoting environmental cleanliness, despite the challenges of behavioural change.

Mrs Sanwo-Olu encouraged residents to embrace proper sanitation practices in their homes, schools, markets and communities, stressing that keeping Lagos clean is a collective responsibility.

She commended the active participation of residents, particularly children, youths, market traders and environmental sanitation workers, who turned out early to clean their surroundings.

In the same vein, Agoro said the exercise was the seventh since March, calling on local government chairpersons and their executives to mobilise residents to improve environmental cleanliness.

He stressed that sanitation must be a continuous responsibility, noting that government officials observed residents dumping refuse into canals during the exercise.

According to him, the Ministry of the Environment has been notified to clear affected canals, while plans are also underway to reconstruct a canal in the area in consultation with the relevant drainage authorities.

Agoro, however, cautioned that clearing the canals would achieve little if residents continued to dispose of waste indiscriminately.