Sanitation: Transport unions back monthly sanitation for cleaner Lagos
Transport union leaders in Lagos have pledged support for the reintroduced monthly environmental sanitation exercise, declaring that no commercial vehicle will load passengers between 6:30 am and 8:30 am on
- By Zainab Olufemi
Transport union leaders in Lagos have pledged support for the reintroduced monthly environmental sanitation exercise, declaring that no commercial vehicle will load passengers between 6:30 am and 8:30 am on the last Saturday of every month.
The resolution was reached at a meeting between officials of the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources and key transport stakeholders.
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said the collaboration was necessary to guarantee the sanitation initiative's success.
He reiterated that the administration of Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu remains committed to achieving a cleaner, flood-free, and sustainable environment.
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Wahab stressed that securing the buy-in of informal transport operators was critical, as over 70 per cent of Lagos residents rely on them.
“If we all agree that we want a cleaner Lagos, then we must cooperate to ensure the success of this exercise,” he said.
The commissioner noted that a similar sanitation exercise already takes place in markets across the state every Thursday between 7 am and 10 am, urging residents to replicate the culture in their homes.
He also charged union leaders to sensitise commuters on the dangers of indiscriminate waste disposal, particularly on roads, medians, drainages, and canals.
Representing the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), State Secretary Usman Teslim assured the government of the union’s full compliance, stating that members would devote the sanitation hours to cleaning their homes and surroundings.
He added that task forces would be set up across union units to enforce compliance, describing the move as being in the interest of all residents.
Teslim noted that the union’s operational guidelines mandate support for government policies, adding that the practice of placing waste bins in public buses remains in place to promote proper waste disposal among commuters.
Also speaking, the Lagos State Chairman of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Shamsudeen Ajala, said the association would mobilise its members and affiliate unions for full compliance.
Represented by Deputy State Secretary Kaojue Abolaji, he said vehicles under the association would only begin operations after 8:30 am on sanitation days.
