The Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, has defended the reintroduction of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise, dismissing criticism by Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour.
Wahab had earlier announced that residents would participate in the exercise between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., describing it as a collective effort to maintain a cleaner city.
Responding to concerns over its legality, the commissioner said the state secured a favourable ruling at the Court of Appeal affirming the validity of environmental sanitation laws.
“No court pronouncement has invalidated this exercise,” he said, urging residents to disregard contrary claims.
Wahab noted that the initiative had been in the works for over a year and emphasised that environmental cleanliness requires shared responsibility between the government and citizens.
He added that key transport unions had agreed to restrict vehicle movement during the sanitation window, with exemptions for emergencies, scheduled flights, and candidates writing the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board examinations.
According to him, officials of the Lagos Waste Management Authority have been mobilised for waste evacuation, while environmental health officers will monitor compliance.
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However, Rhodes-Vivour criticised the policy as “parochial” and lacking innovation, arguing that restricting movement in a city of over 20 million people does not address core waste management challenges.
He called for a stronger focus on waste logistics, including collection, disposal, and recycling systems, describing the initiative as “cosmetic and unimaginative.”
In his response, Wahab insisted the exercise does not amount to a shutdown but encourages civic responsibility.
“We are asking residents to dedicate one hundred and twenty minutes, once every thirty days, to clean their immediate surroundings. That is not a shutdown. That is called taking responsibility,” he said.
The commissioner highlighted ongoing reforms by the Lagos State Government, including efforts to ban single-use plastics, convert landfill waste to energy, deploy biogas systems in markets, and partner with private firms on waste-to-resource initiatives.
While welcoming constructive criticism, Wahab maintained that systemic reforms must be complemented by active citizen participation to achieve lasting environmental sustainability.