Lagos To Deploy 220 Trucks For Waste Evacuation — Hamzat

The Lagos State Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, has said the state would increase its waste evacuation capacity with an additional 220 trucks.

This comes barely two months after Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced that the state would soon take delivery of 150 compactor trucks to tackle waste evacuation.

Hamzat said this while addressing journalists during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise held in Festac, Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area of the state today.

He noted that the new trucks would supplement the existing Private Sector Participation waste collection system.

He said the trucks would help the government respond to the growing volume of waste generated across the state as a result of population growth.

“The state government will be bringing in another 220 trucks to make sure that we supplement our PSP. What we need our people to also do is to make sure that they patronise their PSP, not the cart pushers, because they are not organised. You don’t know where the waste is ending up,” he said.

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Reacting to a question on the waste situation in Lagos, Hamzat said the increasing number of people living and working in the state meant more waste was generated daily, making residents’ cooperation essential to effective waste management.

“A lot of people are coming to Lagos, and therefore they generate waste. So part of what you can see that we are doing is that we are getting many more trucks to actually go and evacuate,” he said.

He said residents had a responsibility to ensure that waste was properly disposed of, stressing that refuse dumped in canals could obstruct water flow and worsen flooding.

The deputy governor said the state government was encouraging communities across Lagos to organise regular environmental sanitation exercises, with the target of having residents clean their surroundings at least once a month.

“We cannot be a people without a healthy environment. It doesn’t matter what we do, a cleaner environment is what makes a city or a state sustainable,” he said.

Hamzat also urged residents to take personal responsibility for maintaining clean surroundings and use approved waste collection channels.

He said the government’s community engagement was aimed at encouraging residents to develop a culture of maintaining clean surroundings and creating a healthier environment for children and other residents.

Addressing environmental management in the Festac area, Hamzat noted that the Federal Housing Authority had responsibilities in the district but said residents and property managers were still required to comply with Lagos State environmental regulations.

He, however, stressed that the state government remained committed to ensuring that the environment was sustainable and conducive for residents.

Hamzat commended the local government chairman and residents for their participation in the sanitation exercise, saying community involvement was essential to sustaining environmental cleanliness across Lagos.

Also speaking, the Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said waste management in the state was improving, attributing the progress to the deployment of 24-hour emergency response teams and measures to address challenges at landfills and dumpsites.

Wahab said the state government had also intensified engagement with PSP operators to improve waste collection across the state, noting that the government had intervened in areas where the Lagos State Waste Management Authority would ordinarily not operate.

He said the government had assured PSP operators of its support to enable them to improve waste collection, adding that residents were expected to pay for services rendered in line with the polluter-pays principle.

The commissioner said the arrangement would ensure that PSP operators were adequately supported while residents received the services for which they paid.

According to him, the government was also transitioning from the traditional linear waste management system, where waste is collected and dumped, to a circular system in which waste is recovered and converted into useful resources.

Wahab said the transition had led to the development of material recovery facilities in Badagry and Epe, as well as transfer stations at Soluyi and Olusosun.

On the activities of cart pushers, the commissioner said the government was engaging them but would not adopt measures that could create greater environmental and security challenges in the future.

He said investigations had shown that waste collected by some cart pushers was often dumped in drainage channels and road medians, contributing to environmental problems and flooding.

Wahab also expressed concern over reports linking some cart pushers to criminal activities, including the cutting and theft of metals, saying the government could not adopt a policy that would worsen security challenges in the state.

  

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Lagos Moves To Turn Transport Data Into Carbon Finance

The Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority and the Lagos State Office of Climate Change and Circular Economy are working on a framework to measure emissions from the state’s transport system, a move that could help Lagos quantify the climate benefits of its mass transit investments and access emerging carbon-financing opportunities.

The collaboration was discussed when a delegation from the Office of Climate Change and Circular Economy, led by the Special Adviser to the Governor, Titilayo Oshodi, visited LAMATA’s headquarters.

The engagement, which held recently, centred on establishing a reliable system for measuring transport-related emissions as Lagos expands electric mobility, rail transportation and other lower-emission mass transit options.

The Managing Director of LAMATA, Engr Abimbola Akinajo, said credible emissions data would be essential to determining the environmental impact of the state’s transport investments and identifying further opportunities to cut carbon emissions.

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She said the authority’s growing portfolio of electric and low-emission public transport projects provided a platform for Lagos to pursue its climate objectives while improving mobility for millions of commuters.

Akinajo said the transport sector could generate more than mobility benefits if Lagos developed the systems required to measure and verify its environmental gains.

“Reliable data would be critical to measuring the environmental impact of transport investments, identifying further opportunities for emissions reduction and positioning Lagos to benefit from emerging global climate-financing mechanisms,” she said.

The meeting also featured a demonstration of the DecarbonIQ Intelligence Platform, a technology platform developed to measure, monitor and manage carbon emissions across transport networks.

The platform includes an emissions-reduction advisory function that can help transport authorities analyse their emissions and identify areas where carbon reductions could be achieved.

It is also designed to provide a unified source of emissions data that can be tracked, validated and verified.

A major focus of the demonstration was the platform’s connection with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which provides a framework for countries to cooperate in meeting climate targets, including through internationally transferable mitigation outcomes and carbon-market mechanisms.

Oshodi stressed the need for Lagos to establish a verified single source of carbon data, particularly as the state commits more resources to electric mobility, rail and other low-carbon transport infrastructure.

She identified transportation as a strategic sector in the state’s climate agenda, making reliable emissions data necessary for measuring the impact of ongoing investments.

The engagement therefore moves the conversation around Lagos’ transport decarbonisation beyond the deployment of electric buses, rail infrastructure and other cleaner mobility options to the question of how the resulting environmental benefits can be measured and potentially converted into access to green finance.

LAMATA said it was prepared to work with OCCE and other stakeholders on data-driven frameworks for sustainable transport and explore ways of combining technology, verified emissions data and infrastructure investment.

The authority said such collaboration could strengthen Lagos’ ability to demonstrate the climate benefits of its mass transit projects improve access to climate finance and accelerate the development of a cleaner and more resilient urban transport system.

  

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Lagos Trains Children On Environmental Sustainability

    The Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, has engaged children on environmental sustainability at the 2026 Eco Explorers Bootcamp.

The bootcamp, held on Saturday at Ndubuisi Kanu Park, Alausa, Ikeja, was organised by the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) in collaboration with the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency and other partners to promote climate action and environmental sustainability.

Rather than relying solely on classroom instructions, the programme exposed the children to hands-on activities, including gardening, upcycling and science experiments.

During the gardening session, the participants were taught how to identify different plants, including spider lily, aglaonema, also known as Chinese evergreen, and hibiscus. They were also shown practical steps involved in planting and caring for plants, including the use of compost manure, planting materials and watering cans.

 

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The children were encouraged to identify the benefits of tree planting and gardens, with participants highlighting beautification, sustainability, carbon absorption and noise reduction among the benefits.

A facilitator during the session explained that planting trees and maintaining gardens could contribute to environmental sustainability while encouraging the children to take responsibility for their surroundings.

The participants also took part in an upcycling session, where they learnt how waste materials could be converted into useful resources. They were taught that organic waste could be processed into resources for gardening, while plastic waste could also be transformed into useful materials.

Speaking on the initiative, Bola Adewunmi, Director, Circular Economy, Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), said the agency participated through LAWMA Academy and its Circular Economy Department to teach the children about waste management and resource recovery.

Adewunmi said the programme was aimed at helping children understand from an early age that waste could be converted into useful resources.

She said LAWMA’s approach was based on the belief that “waste is wealth,” adding that the children were being introduced to the concept through both lectures and practical sessions.

The science session also featured simple experiments aimed at helping the children understand environmental issues. One of the demonstrations involved food colouring, baking soda and bleach to show how chemical reactions could produce visible changes.

Mr. Elijah Adegoke of Kids Literary Circle (KLC), which participated in the programme, said the organisation was focused on making learning enjoyable for children.

Adegoke said the children were also taught about the impact of human activities on the environment, including the relationship between greenhouse gases, global warming and climate change.

He said practical demonstrations were used to make the concepts easier for the children to understand.

Also speaking, Mr. Ojo Oluwaseyi of the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency said the agency’s participation was aimed at encouraging eco-friendly activities, including tree planting and gardening

Oluwaseyi said tree planting was one of the ways of mitigating the effects of climate change, urging the children to establish small gardens and share the knowledge gained with others.

The programme also involved parents, who participated in games and recreational activities while the children attended their various practical sessions.

The facilitators encouraged the children to see themselves as eco heroes with a responsibility to make decisions that promote a cleaner and healthier environment.

The bootcamp combined environmental education with practical activities, giving the participants an opportunity to learn about sustainability while applying the lessons through gardening, waste management and science experiments.

  

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LAWMA Seals Ikotun-Igando Shops Over Environmental Violations

        The Lagos Waste Management Authority has intensified its ongoing environmental compliance enforcement across Lagos, sealing markets, shopping complexes, and commercial premises along the Ikotun-Igando axis.

This came as LAWMA issued notices of intention to seal markets, shops, and plazas along the Ojuelegba-Lawanson-Itire corridor.

The Director of Public Affairs at LAWMA, Mukaila Sanusi, disclosed this in a statement over the weekend, obtained by The PUNCH.

The statement explained that the enforcement exercise, carried out on Saturday by LAWMA’s Project WISE West team, targeted commercial premises along the LASU-Igando Road corridor in Alimosho Local Government Area, “following persistent indiscriminate dumping of refuse on the road median despite repeated default notices, sustained environmental advocacy, and notices of intention to seal.”

 

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The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, said the latest operation followed the notable improvement in environmental compliance recorded during last week’s enforcement exercise along the Yaba-Ojuelegba corridor.

Gbadegesin noted that the intervention had helped restore environmental order and improve sanitation within the area, noting, “Encouraged by the positive outcome, the authority had extended the exercise to other identified corridors across the state, while commencing the issuance of notices of intention to seal markets, shops, and plazas along the Ojuelegba-Lawanson-Itire corridor as part of ongoing compliance measures.”

According to him, the affected markets, shopping complexes, and commercial premises will remain under seal until all “stipulated environmental compliance conditions have been fully met and the agency is satisfied that adequate corrective measures have been implemented.”

He stressed that indiscriminate waste disposal on road medians, drainage channels, and other unauthorised locations constituted a violation of the environmental laws of Lagos State and would continue to attract the appropriate sanction.

The LAWMA boss urged traders, market associations, property owners, and business operators to maintain proper sanitation around their premises, patronise only their assigned PSP operators, and desist from indiscriminate waste disposal, adding that environmental cleanliness remained a shared responsibility.

He reaffirmed LAWMA’s commitment to combining sustained public enlightenment with firm enforcement to promote responsible environmental behaviour, protect public infrastructure, and sustain a cleaner, healthier, and more liveable Lagos.

As part of Saturday’s enforcement operation, LAWMA sealed Owode Market, Omo Oba Shopping Complex, Oja Oba Market, Irewolede Market, Egan Junction Market, BoA Shopping Complex, Blissful Electronics Stores, as well as several other defaulting shops and commercial premises for environmental sanitation violations.

  

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Ajao Estate Residents Reject Waste Collection Fee Hike, Cite Poor Service

Residents of the Ajao Estate area of Lagos have rejected an increase in monthly waste collection charges, accusing their waste management service provider of imposing the hike despite months of poor and irregular refuse collection.

The residents said they were shocked to find notices announcing the new charges pasted on their doors, describing the increase as unjustifiable given what they claimed had been four to five months of inconsistent service.

Speaking on behalf of the residents on Thursday, the chairman of the state, Olu Isijola, said the company had repeatedly failed to evacuate refuse, sometimes leaving waste uncollected for one to two weeks.

He said residents had continued paying the existing fee despite the irregular service and questioned the rationale behind the increase.

 

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He said, “We just saw an unexpected notice placed on our doors, announcing an increment in the monthly refuse collection fee.

“In fact, this company has been neglecting us for over four or five months. Sometimes they won’t come for a whole week or even two weeks. When they eventually come, they give excuses that they have problems somewhere.

“Now, what we are having is an increment, so we consider it unjustifiable. They were not collecting our refuse regularly, yet we still paid them. Now, we are saying no.”

The estate chairman also decried the poor condition of roads within the community, lamenting that residents were being asked to pay more despite the absence of basic service improvements.

 “Apart from the fact that the road is completely messed up, this street is in a very bad condition. We are now talking about refuse again. We are in a dilemma.

“A place so close to the airport should be an ideal place where refuse is collected at the right time, and the roads are in good condition. We are not happy.

“We demand that they should keep the fee at what we have been paying. You increase payment when you improve service. When there is no improvement in the service, you don’t just impose an increase.

“If they have their own challenges, they should not transfer those problems to us. We are really suffering here because the refuse is not being collected,” he said.

The residents also criticised the company for introducing the increase without prior consultation or adequate notice.

“As good business practice, they should have given us notice and engaged us before reviewing the charges. Not just compel us to pay. If there was competition, they wouldn’t do that,” the chairman added.

He urged the waste management company to suspend the increase, improve refuse collection across the estate and engage residents before implementing it.

However, the notice shows that the service provider acknowledged the disruption in waste collection and attributed it to challenges with waste disposal infrastructure in Lagos.

In the notice titled “Marginal Tariff Review,” the company apologised to customers for the inconsistent service experienced in recent weeks.

“We sincerely apologise for the challenge in our service gap in the last several weeks; that service was inconsistent. This is due to the infrastructural challenge of the disposal site in Lagos,” the notice read.

The company said it had been left with no option but to introduce a “marginal” 33 per cent increase in its tariff, representing an additional N2,000 for flat occupants.

According to the notice, the last tariff review was carried out in March 2024 when diesel sold for about N800 per litre, compared to the current price of between N1,700 and N2,000 per litre.

It also explained that the closure of nearby disposal sites had forced its trucks to travel to Ikorodu, about 53 kilometres from Ajao Estate, or Badagry, nearly 100 kilometres away, thereby increasing operational costs, including vehicle maintenance, staff wages and other logistics.

“We seek your understanding this time to embrace this marginal increase to survive and continue to offer services seamlessly,” the notice stated.

The company added that pending the completion of repairs to government disposal facilities, waste would be evacuated once every two weeks and advised residents of multi-flat buildings to acquire additional waste bins and ensure refuse was properly bagged for collection.

Under the revised tariff, occupants of flats are to pay N8,000 monthly, wing duplexes N9,000, standard duplexes N10,000 and mini flats N5,500.

Despite the explanation, residents insisted that the increase was ill-timed and unfair.

Another resident, who identified himself simply as Clinton, also faulted the increase.

He wrote, “I just noticed that LAWMA has pasted a notice of waste disposal increase from N6,000 per flat per month to N8,000.

“It is worrisome that after abandoning waste disposal since March and only being able to dispose of the waste last week, the next thing is an increment. Isn’t this insensitive enough for us to say no?

“We kept paying while they weren’t doing their jobs. No apologies, no explanations, and certainly no form of compensation. All they could do was increase the charges.”

  

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How To Apply For Lagos Climate Grant Worth Up To 5,000 Dollars - Environment Commissioner, Tokunbo Wahab

Young people in Lagos with innovative ideas to tackle climate change can now apply for grants of between $1,000 and $5,000 under the Lagos Youth Climate Action Fund, an initiative supported by the Lagos State Government and Bloomberg Philanthropies.

The programme is designed to support youth-led projects aimed at making Lagos greener, cleaner and more resilient through practical climate solutions.

Announcing the initiative on his X handle, the Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, encouraged young people to take advantage of the opportunity.

 

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“Got an innovative idea to make Lagos greener, cleaner, and more resilient? This is your opportunity to rise, lead, and demonstrate that meaningful climate action starts here.

“The future is in YOUR hands – and this is your chance to help shape it.

“The Lagos Youth Climate Action Fund (YCAF), in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies, is calling for bold, innovative, and youth-led projects that will drive climate action and contribute to building a more sustainable and resilient Lagos.

“Apply now and become part of the movement transforming ideas into impactful solutions for a better Lagos. Be the change. Lead the future,” Wahab wrote.

According to the organisers, eligible youth groups made up of individuals aged 15 to 24 years can receive microgrants ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 to implement climate action projects across Lagos State.

As part of the application process, interested participants are expected to attend a pre-launch information webinar, where details on eligibility, project requirements and application procedures will be explained.

The webinar is scheduled to hold on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at 11:00 a.m.

How to apply

Applicants are required to:

* Register for the pre-launch webinar using the official registration link: https://tinyurl.com/ycafwebinar
* Fill in their first name, last name, and email address during registration.
* Attend the webinar to receive guidance on the grant application process, project eligibility and funding requirements.
* Prepare a youth-led climate action proposal that addresses environmental challenges in Lagos after the official application portal opens.

The organisers said the initiative seeks to equip cities with new ideas from young people, support them through small grants and strengthen youth participation in advancing local climate priorities.

  

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Cleanliness Should Be A Daily Affair, Not Just For Last Saturday Of The Month - Lagos First Lady Tells Residents

The First Lady of Lagos State, Dr Claudiana Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu on Saturday urged all residents not to wait till the last Saturday of the month to embark on the cleaning of their  environment but make it an everyday affair.

The First Lady spoke at Eputu ‘London’ in Ibeju- Lekki Local Government when she monitored the July edition of the sanitation exercise alongside the wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs Oluremi Hamzat and Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab and selected Permanent Secretaries and top officials of the State.

Sanwo-Olu expressed appreciation to the residents of Eputu ‘London’ who came out in their large numbers to participate in the exercise,saying: “We are very, very proud of our people. We noticed today that in Ebutu London, both the children and the parents came out very early to clean their environment”

“In spite of the fact that we are noticing that we have all the floods and things happening in Lagos State, we are making a conscious effort to create awareness among our people to ensure that they remove all the debris as much as possible”, she stated.

 

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While describing the participation of people as a work in progress, the First Lady said that explains why school pupils are being involved so that the message of cleaniness can be imbibed at a younger age.

She added that this would ensure that whatever is handed down over to them, they will continue with it as they grow into adulthood.

Sanwo-Olu gave a commitment that from the August edition, students of tertiary institutions will also form a part of the monitoring of the monthly sanitation exercise.

Also speaking, Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab informed that work is at an advanced stage at Olusosun and Simpson with respect to the Transfer Loading Station that are being constructed there.

“The ultimate goal is, once they are completed, there’ll be a material recovery facility at Ikorodu and Badagry to cart away the waste. And we believe we are going to get there

And I believe LAWMA and the PSP operators are also putting in a lot of effort. We just have to keep doing the advocacy and appealing to our people to manage the waste properly. People should take ownership rather than just pick up their waste and dump their waste on the median and all”, Wahab explained.

He affirmed that the State is gaining traction in the battle again filth and indiscriminate waste dumping but that some habits that are built over time also take a while to change, adding that consistency, advocacy and proper messaging will take us there.

He appealed to residents not to dump waste indiscriminately to people but rather call the attention of LAWMA through its Toll Free lines if a particular PSP operator is not coming to pick waste so that LAWMA can intervene in the interim.

Meanwhile, in Badagry Local Government, where the Special Adviser on the Environment Engr Kunle Rotimi-Akodu led other officials including Permanent Secretaries to monitor, he reiterated the unwavering commitment of the State to sustaining a cleaner, healthier and more resilient environment.

Akodu commended the people of Badagry for embracing environmental sanitation as a civic responsibility, noting that the level of compliance recorded during the exercise was encouraging.

According to him, the Lagos State Government is driving a behavioural change campaign aimed at transforming waste management practices across the State through sustained public enlightenment and community engagement.

“The culture we seek to build is one where every resident takes responsibility for the environment; Poor waste disposal habits contribute significantly to environmental degradation and flooding; We must all embrace proper waste management practices to safeguard our communities,” he said.

Responding to concerns raised by the council over the shortage of Private Sector Participation (PSP) waste operators servicing parts of Badagry, the Special Adviser assured residents that the Ministry would immediately review the complaint and work with the relevant regulatory authorities to address any identified service gaps.

Earlier, the Chairman of Badagry Local Government, Mr Babatunde Hunpe, expressed appreciation to the Governor for his unwavering support for environmental sustainability and thanked the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources for bringing the monitoring exercise to the area.

The Chairman disclosed that the council has continued to complement the operations of PSP operators through its intervention teams and waste evacuation trucks while carrying out sustained environmental advocacy across markets, communities, Community Development Associations (CDAs) and other grassroots platforms.

The APC Gubernatorial Candidate, Princess Damilola Sonayan-James who also participated during the clean-up urged all residents to sustain the momentum by continually cleaning up their environment and patronise assigned PSP operators.

She further said residents should avoid indiscriminate waste disposal and ensure drains, roadsides and public spaces remain free of refuse, stressing that environmental sustainability can only be achieved through collective responsibility and consistent compliance with environmental laws.

The monitoring exercise, which covered Ajara Market and adjoining communities, witnessed impressive participation from residents, traders, Community Development Committees (CDCs), youth organisations, students and other stakeholders, reflecting a growing commitment to environmental stewardship across the council area.

Also present at the clean-up were the Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Dr Gaji Omobolaji, Permanent Secretary Office of Drainage Services, Engr Mahamood Adegbite, some Heads of Agencies as well as Directors in the Ministry.

  

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Sanwo-Olu Wades Through Floodwaters In Lekki, Ajah, Assures Residents Of Government Action

  The Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Wednesday, waded through floodwaters in Awoyaya, Ibeju-Lekki Local Council, as he led a high-powered government delegation on an inspection tour of flood-prone communities affected by recent heavy rainfall across the Lekki corridor, pledging that government would take action to prevent a future incident.

  The governor, accompanied by Deputy Governor Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, commissioners and other cabinet members, visited Awoyaya, Ogombo, Sangotedo and the Chevron axis of Lekki and Ajah to assess the impact of flooding and evaluate the effectiveness of drainage channels and waterways in the area.

 

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Standing knee-deep in floodwater at Awoyaya while addressing journalists, Sanwo-Olu said the tour was aimed at obtaining first-hand information on the flooding situation and identifying immediate and long-term solutions.

  “We did not want to stay in the office and receive reports. We needed to come out and see the reality on the ground so that we can make informed decisions and implement the necessary corrective measures,” the governor said.

  He explained that the inspection revealed that many of the drainage channels and tributaries in the area remained functional, but the unprecedented volume of rainfall recorded over the past few weeks had overwhelmed parts of the system, resulting in flooding in some communities.

 According to him, several natural waterways and tributaries around the Lekki corridor continue to discharge into the Lagos Lagoon and eventually the Atlantic Ocean, but the intensity of the rainfall had significantly increased water levels.

  “What we have seen today is a combination of natural occurrences and human factors. The volume of rain that has fallen within the last three to four weeks has been exceptionally high. Nature will always take its course,” he said.

  The governor noted that Lagos is naturally surrounded by lagoons, wetlands and tributaries that have existed for decades, adding that urbanisation and encroachment on some of these waterways had contributed to drainage challenges in certain locations.

 He said government would continue dredging, clearing and expanding drainage infrastructure to ensure free flow of water, particularly in rapidly developing areas of the state.

 Sanwo-Olu disclosed that engineers accompanying the inspection team had already identified locations requiring additional intervention, including widening drainage channels, raising embankments and improving water discharge systems.

  He also explained that the state occasionally experiences “backflow” when water levels in the lagoon rise significantly during periods of intense rainfall, slowing the movement of water from drainage channels into larger water bodies.

 The governor likened the situation to a household drainage system, noting that blocked channels and excessive water volume could temporarily overwhelm existing infrastructure.

  He urged residents to desist from dumping refuse into drainage channels, warning that indiscriminate waste disposal remained a major contributor to urban flooding.

 “We all have a responsibility. Government will continue to provide infrastructure and maintain drainage systems, but residents must also play their part by keeping drains free of waste and protecting the environment,” he said.

 Sanwo-Olu sympathised with residents whose homes and properties had been affected by flooding, assuring them that the government was assessing the extent of the damage and would provide relief where necessary.

 He disclosed that some relief centres had already been activated for affected residents and promised continued support for vulnerable communities.

 The governor, however, warned that the rainy season was still ongoing and advised residents in low-lying and flood-prone areas to relocate temporarily to safer locations whenever necessary.

 “The rains are not over yet. We urge residents to pay attention to weather advisories from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency and information from relevant government agencies. People must take precautions and move to safer areas when required,” he said.

 Sanwo-Olu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to protecting lives and property through continuous monitoring, infrastructure upgrades and emergency response measures, stressing that flood management requires collective responsibility between government and residents.

  

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Lagos Plants 13,401 Trees In Six Months

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said the state planted 13,401 trees across its five administrative divisions in the first six months of 2026, representing 67 per cent of its annual target of 20,000 trees.

The governor said the remaining trees would be planted during the current rainy season, expressing confidence that Lagos would surpass its annual target by October.

Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin, disclosed this on Tuesday during the 2026 Annual Tree Planting Day organised by the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency at Eko Amore Gardens, Freedom Way, Lekki.

 

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According to a statement issued by the Head of Public Affairs, LASPARK, Abiodun Adebayo, the governor said the state’s tree-planting target was part of efforts to expand its green infrastructure to address the effects of climate change.

He said, “Lagos had already planted 13,401 trees across its five administrative divisions as of June 30, representing 67 per cent of the state’s annual target of 20,000 trees. The remaining trees and more would be planted during the current rainy season.

“Tree planting is a vital investment in the future of Lagos. Expanding the state’s green infrastructure remains critical to combating climate change, improving air quality, reducing urban heat, preserving biodiversity and enhancing the overall well-being of residents,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu urged the chairmen of the 57 local government areas and local council development areas to serve as “Tree Custodians” by working closely with LASPARK to protect and monitor trees within their communities.

He also reminded residents that anyone who unlawfully fells a tree is required by law to replace it with five others.

As part of the event, the governor unveiled the 20 Lagos Tree Champions in recognition of individuals and organisations that have contributed significantly to the state’s greening initiative.

He called on private organisations, development partners, educational institutions, community groups and residents to support the government’s tree-planting campaign through strategic partnerships and sustained environmental stewardship.

“The government alone cannot achieve the vision of a greener and more resilient Lagos. Stronger public-private collaboration will significantly accelerate the state’s greening agenda while creating healthier and more sustainable communities for present and future generations,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu also commended LASPARK for promoting environmental awareness and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to environmental sustainability under the THEMES+ Agenda.

The wife of the deputy governor, Mrs Oluremi Hamzat, described this year’s theme, “Trees for Lagos: Our City, Our Responsibility,” as a reminder that protecting the environment requires collective action.

“The future of our environment depends on the choices we make today and the actions we take as individuals and corporate entities,” she said.

Earlier, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, described tree planting as one of the most practical and cost-effective responses to climate change.

He said the annual exercise underscored the state’s commitment to environmental sustainability, biodiversity conservation and climate resilience.

“Beyond beautifying the environment, trees absorb carbon dioxide, release oxygen, enrich soil fertility, reduce erosion, conserve water resources and create habitats for wildlife while supporting agriculture, tourism and other green economic opportunities,” Wahab said.

He added that every tree planted under the state’s afforestation programme had been geo-tagged and was being actively monitored to ensure its survival.

The commissioner appealed to residents, schools, businesses, community associations, development partners and civil society organisations to protect existing trees and plant more.

The General Manager of LASPARK, Mrs Adetoun Popoola, said the agency was deploying geotagging technology and community-based monitoring systems to improve tree survival rates.

She added that LASPARK would continue distributing free tree seedlings to residents, corporate organisations, Community Development Associations, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders to encourage wider participation in the greening campaign.

Also speaking, the Chairman of Agege Local Government, Mr Vinod Obasa, pledged his council’s support for the state’s afforestation drive and promised to encourage more tree planting across the local government area.

Recall that Lagos State, last month, unveiled a new environmental initiative aimed at combating climate change and rising urban temperatures, committing to planting 500 trees across the state while joining a global campaign to address extreme heat in cities.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment, Olalekan Rotimi-Akodu, made the announcement on the occasion of the 2026 World Environment Day, where officials warned that rapid urbanisation and climate change were increasing heat-related risks for residents.

  

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