The Lagos State Government has denied reports claiming it has handed over environmental enforcement duties from the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps, also known as KAI, to the National Union of Road Transport Workers.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, June 23, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, clarified the position via his official communication channels.
The response followed claims circulating on social media and blogs alleging that the Lagos State Government had assigned members of the NURTW responsibilities traditionally handled by LAGESC, including the arrest of environmental offenders, as part of ongoing efforts to tackle waste management challenges in the state.
Addressing the claims, Wahab dismissed the reports as misinformation, stressing that recent engagements between the state government and transport unions were never intended to replace or undermine the statutory duties of LAGESC.
He said the government remains committed to strengthening environmental compliance through collaboration with relevant stakeholders, while maintaining all existing enforcement structures.
“LAGESC, in collaboration with the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Task Force, remains the duly empowered environmental enforcement arm of the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources,” he said.
The commissioner further explained that the engagement with transport unions is aimed at addressing persistent environmental issues in motor parks, garages, and the wider public transportation system, including indiscriminate waste disposal and illegal trading activities.
He added that ongoing stakeholder engagement is intended to complement, not replace, existing environmental enforcement mechanisms across the state.
The clarification comes about three months after Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced the reintroduction of the Monthly Environmental Sanitation Exercise in Lagos State, as part of broader efforts to improve environmental cleanliness and reinforce civic responsibility among residents.
The exercise is scheduled to hold on the last Saturday of every month, between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., and will be monitored by government officials, with sanctions to be imposed on environmental offenders.
As part of preparations for the renewed sanitation campaign, the Lagos State Government has intensified collaboration with relevant stakeholders and agencies, including transport unions whose activities significantly affect environmental conditions in motor parks and garages.
Tokunbo Wahab said the engagement is aimed at strengthening compliance and improving waste management practices within the transportation sector.
“The State Government’s engagement with transport unions is aimed at fostering collaboration, promoting shared responsibility, and ensuring improved cleanliness and proper waste management within their respective parks and garages. This partnership does not in any way diminish, transfer, or replace the enforcement responsibilities of LAGESC and the Task Force,” he stated.
Environmental regulation and enforcement in Lagos State are handled by several agencies, including the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, which is responsible for monitoring and enforcing compliance with environmental laws across the state.
