Environment
Court Rules On Lagos Monthly Sanitation, May 6
A Lagos High Court sitting
at Igbosere on Tuesday, fixed May 26, for ruling on an application asking for the constitutionality of arrest and prosecution of violators of the state’s environmental sanitation laws.
The suit instituted by a student, Faith Okafor, is seeking a declaration on the legality of restricting movement of people from 7.00a.m. to 10.00 a.m. on the last Saturday of every month.
The applicant instituted the action through her counsel, Mr Ikenna Okolie, against the respondent’s (the Lagos State Government) directive to residents to observe the exercise.
The applicant also want exemplary damages in the sum of N5 million against the respondents.
The applicant further sought for a refund of N2, 000 fine she paid for an environmental sanitation offence after she was arrested and tried by a special offences court which found her guilty.
According to the applicant, her trial and conviction for an environmental sanitation offence violated her fundamental right to fair hearing as provided for under Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution.
The applicant also insisted that it violated Article 7 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The applicant, therefore, wanted the court to declare the respondent’s action against her was unlawful, illegal and unconstitutional.
At the resumed hearing of the case on Tuesday, the State Solicitor-General, Mr Lawal Pedro (SAN), argued that the alleged breach of fundamental rights were “intrinsic to the trial’’ of the applicant at the magistrates’ court.
Pedro said the alleged failure to observe her fundamental rights in the process was a ground of appeal or application for judicial review and not an application for enforcement of fundamental rights.
He also argued that the applicant also failed to present to the court the said directive, saying a court of law was not obliged to speculate or entertain any hypothetical or abstract issue.
Pedro, therefore, urged the court to dismiss the application.
He said the policy of the state government for the citizens to dedicate three hours on a day monthly to perform environmental sanitation was in the public interest.
“Section 20 provides that the state shall protect and improve the environment and Section 24 (d) provides that it shall be the duty of every citizen to make positive and useful contribution to the advancement, progress and well-being of the community where he resides.
“It is, therefore, submitted that environmental sanitation policy of the state government is in the provisions of the constitution and not inconsistent with the fundamental right and dignity of human person, liberty or movement,’’ Pedro said.
President, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Mrs Margaret Oguntala, has inaugurated the construction of 18 units residential terrace in highbrow Alausa area of Lagos toward bridging the nation’s shelter gap.
Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation has launched the 1GOV Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) to enhance digital governance and improve service delivery.
The launch, held on Thursday in Abuja, marks the ministry’s transition from paper-based operations to a smart, integrated and technology-driven work environment.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, said the deployment aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
Utsev said the system would improve data management, streamline workflows and strengthen transparency and accountability across the ministry.
According to him, the ECMS will enhance productivity, preserve institutional memory and reduce operational costs in the ministry.
Launching the platform, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, said the initiative is a major step in public sector reform.
She said the ministry’s mandate affects Nigerians through water supply, sanitation, irrigation, river basin development and climate resilience programmes.
Walson-Jack said the 1GOV ECMS enables secure digital records management, automated workflows, electronic approvals and real-time collaboration across MDAs.
She added that the deployment aligns with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 and the directive for full digitalisation by December 2025.
“Effective governance cannot afford delays caused by manual bottlenecks or avoidable inefficiencies,” she said.
She directed that all official correspondence in the ministry must henceforth be processed through approved digital registry channels.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Emanso Umobong, said the system would eliminate workflow inefficiencies and improve service delivery.
She urged staff to fully adopt the platform and engage in continuous capacity building.
Research shows that local communities and citizens living at the grassroots, particularly women, are directly impacted by the environmental degradation, flooding and others that result from these manifestations.
In the light of this, non-governmental organisation, Ese Usamali Foundation For Rural Development (EUFORDe), has held a forum for women and other members of oil impacted communities, tagged: ‘Voices from the Grassroots,’ and aimed at building their resilience and mitigation efforts against climate change and environmental degradation
The forum, with the theme: ‘Building Resilience for Oil Spill Impacted Ahoada Communities,’ organised with support from Global Green Grants, was held in Ahoada Community, Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State, on December 5, 2025.
Executive Director of Ese Usamali Foundation For Rural Development, Mercy Elemchukwu-James, said women are at the forefront of efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change and environmental degradation.
The event, therefore, was “designed for community women impacted by oil spills, flooding and other environmental degradation,” she said.
Community women were enlightened by resource persons on new opportunities for sustainable agricultural practices and water management techniques that cushion the impact of oil spills.
Lectures were also delivered on Self-care and Trauma-care, with focus on physical and mental health of the population, and increasing access to health-related resources and services; as well as on Food security and women’s critical role in decision making in oil spill and flood situations in communities
Elemchukwu-James pointed out that the event created a forum for stakeholders, civil society actors and others to dialogue on measures at advancing inclusive and sustainable livelihoods of community women.
She stressed the need for collaborative efforts towards achieving mitigation efforts, while underscoring EUFORDe’s commitment to “fostering partnerships as a critical driver for achieving a healthy community and sustainable development.”
Elemchukwu-James described participants’ design of ‘Community Resilience Plan,’ to manage and combat environmental degradation and crises, as part of achievements recorded at the event.
The forum also witnessed the launching of EUFORDs’ Center For Resilience and Rights.
“This center is established to build resilience as Trauma-Care for victims of environmental degradation, support for survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV) and a platform where victims of environmental injustice and other GBV cases can seek redress,” Elemchukwu-James said.
Participants celebrated the milestones achieved and charted a path toward greater impact in the coming years. They also described the event as “an inspiring and transformative experience.”
Elemchukwu-James said the awareness creation workshop “reaffirms EUFORDe’s mission to create an equitable society in which the rights and capacities of women, youth, children and underprivileged are integrated in the socio-economic planning and development of communities, for the attainment of equity and peace.