Some residents of Lagos State have urged the government to maintain consistent enforcement of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise, saying it is essential for improving hygiene and promoting a healthier environment across communities.
During the exercise on Saturday, residents in parts of Surulere took part in cleaning activities such as sweeping streets, clearing blocked drainages and disposing waste at designated collection points.
The sanitation period also saw reduced commercial activity, as movement restrictions imposed by the state government were observed between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.
Areas visited, including Masha, Kilo, Ogunlana and Lawanson, witnessed monitoring by environmental officials and security personnel to ensure compliance with the directive.
Traders and residents were seen cleaning gutters around shops and homes, while waste management officials evacuated refuse from several locations.
A resident of Masha, Isiaka Balogun, said the exercise would help reduce flooding if properly sustained.
He noted that blocked drainage channels contribute significantly to flooding and stressed the need for continued public participation in proper waste disposal.
Another resident, Helen Ajibola from Kilo, said awareness of environmental cleanliness had improved since the exercise was reintroduced.
She added that more residents were beginning to take responsibility for their surroundings compared to previous years when the initiative was inactive.
A trader in Lawanson Market, Ridwan Sulaimon, called on the government to provide more waste bins in strategic locations to encourage proper refuse disposal.
He said accessible facilities would improve compliance and reduce indiscriminate dumping of waste.
Officials of the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) were also observed monitoring major roads to ensure adherence to movement restrictions.
In Ogba and Agege-Pencinema areas, sanitation workers led cleaning efforts as most commercial activities were suspended in line with government directives.
While some residents actively cleaned their surroundings, others remained indoors throughout the exercise.
In several communities, sanitation activities were largely carried out by environmental workers, with limited participation from residents.
Despite the restrictions, some food vendors operated within parts of the Pencinema Railway Market and nearby areas, serving commuters awaiting the end of the restriction period.
At transport parks in Agege, passengers were seen waiting as commercial vehicles gradually resumed operations.
The Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway experienced reduced traffic during the exercise, although a few tricycles and buses were observed transporting passengers.
Some youths were also seen engaging in recreational activities under the Pencinema Bridge due to the lighter traffic flow.
Overall compliance with the restriction order was high, although participation in cleanup activities varied across communities, with many areas relying heavily on sanitation workers.
The exercise is part of the Lagos State Government’s renewed effort to strengthen environmental hygiene and reinforce sanitation discipline across the state.