Lagos State First Lady, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, has defended the monthly environmental sanitation exercise, describing it as necessary for sustaining public awareness and promoting cleanliness across the state.
She also disclosed that the state government would soon announce the winner of its cleanest council competition, aimed at encouraging healthy competition among communities.
Sanwo-Olu spoke on Saturday during the October sanitation exercise in Ikorodu, where she dismissed criticisms of the monthly exercise, saying continuous sensitisation was necessary to make environmental cleanliness a daily habit.
She compared the exercise to safety announcements made to airline passengers before take-off, noting that repeated reminders help reinforce responsible behaviour.
The First Lady urged residents to maintain clean surroundings beyond the last Saturday of every month by extending the sanitation culture to their homes, communities, schools, markets and wards.
She expressed satisfaction with the level of participation in Ikorodu, particularly commending children, environmental sanitation workers and other stakeholders who participated in the exercise from as early as 6am.
Sanwo-Olu also encouraged residents to sustain the momentum and ensure Ikorodu emerges as the cleanest council in the state-wide competition, which will involve all local governments.
Some residents who spoke during the exercise said waste collection had improved in their communities. One resident, identified as Tayo, said private sector participants (PSP) waste operators now visit more regularly, reducing the accumulation of refuse.
Another resident, Wale Akindele, also acknowledged the improvement and called for sustained efforts to keep the state clean.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, had earlier announced plans to reward the cleanest councils with cash prizes of up to ₦10m following the resumption of the monthly sanitation exercise. He disclosed this during a meeting with chairmen of the 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas in Alausa.