Agbado environmental sanitation sees 7/10 compliance on 25 July 2026 as officials, LAWMA and residents unite for a cleaner community. Feature image shows joint cleanup teams at work

Reformer Akinpelu Rahman, Special Adviser to the Executive Chairman of Agbado Oke Odo Local Council Development Area on New Media, ICT and Information, joined officials and residents on Saturday, 25 July 2026, to enforce the monthly environmental sanitation exercise across the LCDA in Lagos State.

The exercise, directed by the Lagos State Government, ran from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and marked the fourth such cleanup since the programme was reintroduced in April 2026 after a decade-long suspension.

Rahman described the operation as effective, when speaking with Freelanews correspondent, Victor Ojelabi, noting that only pedestrians moved freely while vehicular traffic remained halted.

“Compliance around here is currently about 7 out of 10,” he said. “As local government officials, we are trying our best to ensure total compliance.”

Executive Chairman Hon. Abiodun Jimoh Ejigbadero ordered the deployment of a Black Maria to deter loiterers, with anyone found idling during the window facing immediate sanction.

The firm measure forms part of wider efforts to raise participation following the state’s reactivation of the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law of 2017.

Teams from the Lagos Waste Management Authority, the LCDA and local residents worked side by side, clearing streets, drains and open spaces. The visible cooperation produced cleaner thoroughfares and reinforced the message that collective action delivers results.

“The results of this exercise are clear for everyone to see,” Rahman stated. “You can see LAWMA, the LCDA and the community coming together to clean their environment. Yes, it is very effective.”

He urged residents to treat the monthly exercise with greater seriousness.

“The people of the community should take this exercise seriously because health is wealth. If you live in a dirty environment, there is no way you can enjoy good health.”

The Lagos State Government revived the last-Saturday sanitation drive in April after earlier court challenges over movement restrictions led to its suspension around 2016.

Officials shifted to controlled movement and shorter hours of 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., pairing the exercise with LAWMA waste collection and monitoring by environmental task forces.

Also read: Lagos arrests five for public defecation in sanitation raid

While compliance in Agbado Oke Odo has reached a respectable 7 out of 10, challenges remain across the wider metropolis, including inconsistent participation in some neighbourhoods and the ongoing struggle to keep drainage channels free of refuse that contributes to seasonal flooding.

Local officials continue to press for full adherence, arguing that sustained public engagement remains the most practical route to a healthier urban environment.