The managing director, chief executive officer of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, has called on private organisations and residents to adopt streets and communities as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to enhance environmental cleanliness across Lagos State.
Gbadegesin who spoke on both Lagos Television’s “The Conversation” and Channels TV’s “Sunrise” programmes emphasised the importance of community involvement in maintaining sanitation, urging businesses and individuals to play a more active role in the cleanliness of their immediate environments.
“Adopting a street or community is an excellent way for organizations to contribute meaningfully to the city’s cleanliness efforts. It goes beyond just placing bins; it’s about taking responsibility for the cleanliness and maintenance of entire neighborhoods. This initiative will also serve as a strong CSR strategy, benefiting both the environment and the organizations involved,” Dr. Gbadegesin explained.
He blamed the recent cholera outbreak to poor environmental practices such as open defecation and illegal waste disposal, stressing that such occurrences could be mitigated through sustained community sanitation efforts.
He added, “Sanitation should be a daily habit, ingrained in our culture, and this is what we should be teaching our children.”
Commenting on the on-going community clean-up campaign by LAWMA and the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, he stated that, “What we are doing right now is sensitisation, and yes, the monthly sanitation exercise is coming back. We are going from community to community, engaging with local stakeholders, and addressing residents’ challenges.”
He said the authority was moving on with the “Adopt a Bin” programme aimed at encouraging households to containerise their waste effectively.
