Lagos State Government has announced the return of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise, with implementation scheduled to begin on April 25, ending a nine-year suspension of the programme.

The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed this on Saturday shortly after Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat participated in symbolic street cleaning activities to signal the formal return of the exercise.

The sanitation exercise, which had previously been observed on the last Saturday of every month, was suspended in November 2016 following a court ruling that declared restriction of movement during sanitation hours unconstitutional.

The Court of Appeal of Nigeria had ruled that restricting residents’ movement during the exercise violated fundamental rights to personal liberty and freedom of movement.

According to Wahab, the renewed sanitation programme will now hold on the last Saturday of every month between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.

He urged residents across the state to clean their surroundings, clear drainage systems around their homes, and ensure proper waste disposal as part of their civic duty.

Wahab described the decision as a bold move aimed at promoting a cleaner, healthier and flood-resilient Lagos, stressing that the government would enforce compliance fully.

He added that the decision followed over one year of consultations and policy reviews before approval was granted for the exercise to resume.