By Imisioluwa Afunmiso
The Lagos State Government has intensified its grassroots environmental advocacy campaign, urging residents to embrace responsible waste disposal as part of efforts to build a cleaner, healthier and flood-resilient state.
The government said achieving environmental sustainability requires collective responsibility, stressing that behavioural change among residents remains critical to the success of its environmental management initiatives.
The Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Dr. Gaji Omobolaji, made the call on Friday during a Stakeholders’ Environmental Enlightenment Campaign held in Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area.
Represented by the Director of the Environmental Assessment Department, Dr. Olasunkanmi Sojinu, the Permanent Secretary said the campaign forms part of the state government’s sustained efforts to deepen public awareness and promote responsible waste management practices across communities.
He said the initiative aligns with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s vision of building a cleaner, healthier, safer and more sustainable Lagos through continuous stakeholder engagement and environmental education.
According to him, Lagos, as Nigeria’s commercial hub and one of Africa’s fastest-growing megacities, generates enormous volumes of waste daily, making residents’ cooperation indispensable despite government investments in waste management infrastructure, drainage maintenance, recycling programmes and environmental sanitation.
He lamented that indiscriminate dumping of refuse on roads, medians, drainage channels and other unauthorised locations remains one of the state’s major environmental challenges.
Such practices, he noted, obstruct drainage systems, worsen flooding, degrade the environment, pose public health risks and undermine government investments in environmental management.
“Environmental cleanliness is a shared responsibility. While government will continue to provide infrastructure, formulate policies and enforce environmental laws, residents, businesses, market leaders, transport operators, religious organisations and community associations all have important roles to play,” he said.
The Permanent Secretary emphasised that the government would continue to prioritise public enlightenment over prosecution, noting that voluntary compliance driven by education is more sustainable than relying solely on enforcement.
“We would rather educate than prosecute, prevent than penalise and build a culture of environmental responsibility across our communities,” he said.
He disclosed that the state had intensified environmental monitoring, routine sanitation inspections, drainage maintenance, evacuation of waste from illegal dumpsites and enforcement against environmental offenders.
According to him, surveillance has also been strengthened across highways, markets, transport corridors and identified environmental black spots to curb indiscriminate waste disposal.
Gaji urged Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas to sustain environmental advocacy by mobilising residents and strengthening community participation.
He also called on traditional rulers, Community Development Associations, market associations, transport unions, the media and the private sector to champion responsible environmental practices within their respective communities.
He advised residents to patronise only approved Private Sector Participation (PSP) waste operators, dispose of waste responsibly, keep drainage channels free of refuse and promptly report environmental violations through appropriate government channels.
The Permanent Secretary added that the environmental objectives of the state’s THEMES+ Development Agenda could only be realised when residents recognise that environmental responsibility begins with individual actions.
He encouraged participants to serve as ambassadors of environmental responsibility by promoting proper sanitation and waste management practices in their homes, workplaces and communities.
Earlier, Chairman of Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area, Prince Lanre Sanusi, said a clean environment promotes investment, boosts economic productivity and improves the quality of life.
He described environmental sustainability as a shared responsibility of government and residents, urging participants to adopt proper waste management practices and become advocates for environmental responsibility within their communities.
The stakeholders enlightenment campaign attracted community leaders, traditional rulers, market associations, transport unions, environmental stakeholders and residents.