The Lagos State Government has reinstated monthly environmental sanitation, ending a 10-year suspension. The exercise took place on a Saturday in Agege and Orile-Agege, where residents cleaned streets, cleared drains and collected refuse. For the first time in years, neighbours who had not interacted came together, turning the clean-up into a moment of social connection. Mrs. Yemisi Ajayi, a resident of Agege, recalled a past dispute with her neighbour over a waste disposal bill that had caused months of tension. During the sanitation exercise, they worked side by side and exchanged words of appreciation, which helped mend their relationship.
Mrs. Kafayat Bashorun, a civil servant on Moricas Street, described the event as a mini social gathering where residents discussed politics, football and food prices. She said many Lagosians leave home early and return late, making sanitation days one of the few times they interact with neighbours. Mrs. Funmi Oke, a banker on Oko-Oba Road, said she only got to meet a couple who had moved in next door months earlier because of the exercise. Mr. Nedu, a trader on Oke-Koto Street, noted he had quarrelled with his neighbour last year but greeted him the morning after working together.
Chief Leke Arowolo, a retired soldier on Powerline Road, said sweeping beside neighbours revealed shared struggles. Children also participated, including 7-year-old Master Leroy Odeh on Agege Road, who brought his own broom. His mother said he wanted to learn responsibility early. Nine-year-old Miss Labake Yusuf helped pack refuse, stating, "If we don't clean, everywhere will be dirty."
The state once abandoned this exercise for a decade, yet now celebrates its return as if continuity had never been broken. Residents like Yemisi Ajayi and Nedu are rebuilding relationships the government's long absence made difficult. Children like Leroy Odeh and Labake Yusuf are being taught civic responsibility while adults relearn neighbourliness. The irony lies in a state reaping goodwill for restoring a programme it failed to maintain.
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