Maintaining environmental sustainability is no small feat in a vibrant and dynamic city like Lagos. With a population that fuels the engine of commerce across formal and informal sectors, Lagos faces unique challenges in its battle against environmental infractions. However, through relentless efforts and sustained community collaboration, Lagos is making commendable strides in fostering a cleaner and healthier environment.
The Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), also known as Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI), has been at the forefront of these efforts, enforcing environmental laws, advocating for compliance, and monitoring public behaviour. Under the vibrant and inspirational leadership of Corps Marshal Major Olatunbosun Olaniyi Cole (Rtd), the agency has achieved significant milestones in curbing environmental infractions.
Omobolaji Gaji, Permanent Secretary, Lagos Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, attributes this success to community engagement and the government’s unwavering commitment to environmental sustainability.
Speaking at one of the several stakeholders’ meetings organized by LAGESC, with the theme “Community Engagement: A Catalyst for Enhancing Environmental Compliance”. Gaji emphasized the critical role of collective action in salvaging the environment.
Every quarter, relevant stakeholders in environmental matters are engaged across the five divisions of the state on issues such as indiscriminate waste disposal, open defecation, and street trading in unauthorized areas.
In 2024, the agency held over 50 community sensitization programs targeting schools, market associations, and religious institutions. These engagements emphasize the importance of proper waste management, recycling, and adherence to environmental laws. In a bid to tackle waste more efficiently, LAGESC has also strengthened its relationship and partnership with relevant government and non-governmental organizations towards ensuring a safer and cleaner Lagos.
One core area where LAGESC’s efforts have yielded remarkable results is in its enforcement activities. For instance, in 2024, over 10,000 defaulters of various environmental laws were apprehended and prosecuted for various environmental violations, with significant fines and rehabilitation programs introduced for repeat offenders.
The offences ranged from street trading and expressway crossing to improper waste disposal and assault on environmental officials.
Expressway crossings accounted for the highest number of arrests, followed by street trading and others. Sentences for these offenses include jail terms of up to six months or community service, underscoring the state’s zero-tolerance approach to environmental violations.
Over 1,032 individuals were arrested for failing to use pedestrian bridges and over 165 miscreants were dislodged from bridges and public spaces. These enforcement actions, coupled with the ongoing public awareness campaigns, are reshaping public attitudes toward environmental compliance.
Recognizing the importance of education, the agency has ramped up its awareness campaigns to enlighten residents about the dangers of environmental pollution. The main message here is that improper waste disposal is not just an individual issue; it affects the entire community. Flooding, pollution, and disease outbreaks are consequences we cannot afford.
The agency’s public sensitization efforts are aimed at encouraging Lagosians to take personal responsibility for waste disposal and adherence to sanitation laws. These campaigns are complemented by community engagements where stakeholders, including market associations, transport unions, and community leaders, are urged to adopt and enforce good hygiene practices.
It is important to stress that open defecation remains a significant challenge in Lagos, posing health risks and environmental hazards. Several measures have been put in place to combat this menace. One such is the construction of public sanitation facilities in high-risk areas, with 24-hour monitoring teams deployed to ensure maintenance and compliance.
The officers of the agency have been maintaining sanity on major highways across the state to combat open defecation and other environmental nuisances capable of distorting the state’s aesthetics and causing harm to the residents.
Worthy of mention is the restoration of sanity to the Berger end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway by the state’s Ministry of Environment and Water Resources. Courtesy of this move, this particular part of the state’s highway that was once a horrible sight to behold now wears a new look. The presence of LAGESC officers, patrolling and monitoring activities along this area, has sustained the new look.
As the New Year unfolds, LAGESC remains ever-resilient in its resolve to rid Lagos of environmental contraventions. Therefore, more personnel will be deployed in strategic locations, while more training will be organized for officers on environmental matters.
The agency will continue to play a pivotal role in safeguarding the environment and public health. Through robust enforcement, innovative strategies, and community engagement, LAGESC will keep setting a commendable example for other states to follow. With sustained efforts and support from stakeholders, Lagos becoming Africa’s cleanest megacity is not only possible but quite imminent.
However, the residents must be fully involved in ongoing efforts to make Lagos cleaner and safer. Universally, behavioural change communication is a continuous thing. What is required to maintain a sane and friendly environment is not just about what the government is doing but also about the people’s attitude.
Lagos residents need to understand that the quality of our lives as human beings is substantially a reflection of the quality of the environment that we inhabit.
Despite efforts being put in place to sanitise the environment, some still prefer to continue to live in the past as they still get involved in actions capable of frustrating the government’s investment in the sector.
To redress the situation, the people need to change their attitude to the environment. It is whatever we give to the environment that it gives back to us. Community leaders, traditional rulers, NGOs, and other stakeholders should work in partnership with the state government to ensure that current gains in the sector are sustained. It is only in doing this that the government’s massive investment in the environment would not be a waste.
It is, therefore, important that Lagosians support LAGESC in its drive toward environmental renewal by preserving trees, parks, gardens, lawns, and railings put in place across the state. They were provided with taxpayers’ money for the good of the people. They should not be abused. Parks should not be turned into marketplaces, toilets, refuse dumps, or places where animals graze.
The fight for a sustainable environment in Lagos is far from over. While the progress made so far is commendable, there is much work to be done. The government, through LAGESC, continues to lead the charge, but the onus lies on every Lagosian to contribute their quota.
The environment is our collective heritage. Protecting it is not just a duty but a necessity for our survival and that of future generations.
With sustained enforcement, more community engagements, and innovative solutions, Lagos is well on its way to becoming a model city for environmental sustainability in Nigeria and beyond.
•Ajayi is Head, Public Affairs and Advocacy Unit, LAGESC, Lagos.
