The Special Adviser to the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment, Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, made the call during a community cleanup exercise in Badagry.

Mr Rotimi-Akodu commended residents for participating in the exercise, saying their turnout reflected growing awareness of environmental responsibility.

“Environmental sanitation is a civic responsibility. It belongs to every citizen to prioritise the environment,” he said.

He praised Community Development Committees, market associations, student groups and other stakeholders for participating in the exercise.

Mr Rotimi-Akodu said involving students formed part of the ministry’s strategy to promote lasting behavioural change in waste management.

“We are preaching a cultural shift and a paradigm shift in waste culture because our current practice is bad,” he said.

He attributed indiscriminate waste dumping to poor disposal habits among some residents.

According to him, some residents bypass approved Private Sector Participants (PSP) operators and dump refuse at unauthorised locations.

Mr Rotimi-Akodu said educating young people would encourage proper waste handling in homes and communities.

He also commended the local government chairman for supporting environmental initiatives and promoting good sanitation practices.

“Let it not be because the camera is here. Let it be what we do even when nobody is watching,” he said.

Responding to complaints of inadequate PSP operators, Mr Rotimi-Akodu assured residents that the ministry would investigate the matter.

“When you see something, say something. We do not compromise on shortcomings from PSP operators because the system relies on them,” he said.

He stated the ministry would review reported shortages and address operational lapses to improve waste collection services.

Also, the Badagry Local Government Chairman, Babatunde Hunpe, appealed to the state government to deploy more PSP operators across the council.

Mr Hunpe thanked Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for sending a delegation led by the special adviser on the environment to assess sanitation activities.

He said the council had intensified waste evacuation through intervention measures without taking over the responsibilities of PSP operators.

“We have our own tricycles clearing waste as intervention. We are not taking over the job of PSP operators,” he said.

Mr Hunpe, however, said available PSP operators were inadequate to meet the council’s waste management needs.

“We don’t have enough PSP operators. The few we have are not operating optimally. We need the ministry to assign more PSP operators to Badagry,” he said.

He said the council would sustain environmental sanitation efforts despite existing challenges.

Mr Hunpe said the council deployed waste police and trucks to maintain cleanliness and prevent refuse accumulation along major roads.

He clarified that refuse seen on some road medians fell outside the council’s administrative jurisdiction.

The chairman urged residents and observers to assess the council’s sanitation performance within its jurisdiction.

He said the council regularly sensitised residents through community development associations, community development committees, markets and farmers’ meetings.

According to him, officials also conduct ward-to-ward advocacy campaigns to promote proper sanitation practices.

Mr Hunpe said the council visited five of its 10 political wards under the ongoing sanitation awareness campaign.

Assessing the exercise, Mr Hunpe commended the Lagos State monitoring team for supporting the initiative.

“To me, it’s perfect. I cannot praise myself; I leave that assessment to the Lagos State team,” he said. 

(NAN)