Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, wife of Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has called on residents to embrace proper waste sorting and sanitation practices to support efficient waste evacuation and help curb the spread of communicable diseases.
She made the appeal on Saturday while monitoring the sixth edition of the state’s reintroduced monthly environmental sanitation exercise in the Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area.
Sanwo-Olu emphasised the importance of sustainable sanitation at the community level, noting that effective waste management is essential for maintaining a clean and healthy environment.
She said separating waste before disposal would make collection and evacuation easier while encouraging residents to take greater responsibility for keeping their surroundings clean.
According to her, sanitation goes beyond cleaning streets and neighbourhoods, as it also plays an important role in protecting public health and creating sustainable communities.
She also acknowledged the need for the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) to improve its waste evacuation operations, stressing that sustained collaboration between residents and government agencies was necessary to achieve better results.
“LAWMA needs to be up and doing. We acknowledge that there are areas where we need to improve, but it can only get better,” she said, while also urging residents to properly sort and dispose of their waste.
The governor’s wife commended residents of Oshodi-Isolo, particularly women and children, for their participation in the sanitation exercise. She was accompanied by the wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs Oluremi Hamzat, Special Adviser on Environment, Mr Rotimi Akodu, and other government officials.
However, residents of Olowora and Eweje streets raised concerns over what they described as prolonged accumulation of refuse, alleging that waste had not been evacuated from their communities for about six months.
Mrs Adeola Lawal, a resident of Olowora, appealed to the state government and waste management authorities to improve monitoring of waste collection and respond quickly whenever refuse begins to accumulate. She warned that prolonged exposure to waste could create serious health concerns.
Another resident, Mr Julius Moye of Mafoluku, said residents had continued to pay their Private Sector Participation (PSP) waste collection bills but expressed concern about the continued presence of refuse in the area.
Moye urged the authorities to ensure regular evacuation, stressing that early intervention would help prevent the situation from developing into a wider public health problem.
Mr Charles Nwobodo similarly called for a more proactive approach from the government and relevant waste management agencies. He urged residents to dispose of waste responsibly while calling on authorities to ensure that collected waste was evacuated promptly.
The residents appealed to the state government to strengthen waste collection and evacuation in Olowora and Eweje, particularly in communities where residents regularly pay for waste collection services.
The monitored streets included Adisa Ajibulu, Eweje, Makinde, Abeokuta and Olowora.
