From Cyriacus Nnaji, Lagos
The Lagos State Government has urged residents to take personal responsibility for keeping their environment clean and flood-free, saying climate resilience starts with individual action.
The call was made on Thursday at a Citizens Led Accountability Mechanism, CLAIM, Town Hall Meeting held at Lagos Island East Local Council Development Area, LCDA.
The meeting was organized by the Lagos Civil Society Participation for Development, LACSOP, with support from Bread for the World, as part of the CLAIM Project for Mitigating Climate Change Impact.
The event brought together government officials, community leaders, civil society groups, youth, women, and residents to discuss climate impacts, strengthen citizen participation, and identify sustainable solutions for community development.
The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, who was represented by the Head, Research and Development, Water Resources Department, Mrs. Bolanle Magbagbeola, said clearing drainage channels must become a civic duty. “The main focus is that everyone needs to know that it is a collective responsibility. It starts from me and you,” she said.
Wahab urged residents to stop dumping refuse in drains and canals, warning that blocked waterways remain a major cause of flooding in the state.
The Chairman of Lagos Island East LCDA, Dr. Muibi Folawiyo, said the town hall was designed to enlighten stakeholders on the effects of climate change and actions needed to address them. “The solution is for all of us to be in a clean and clear environment. Government will continue to be on top of a cleaner environment, and we urge all residents to join government in making the environment clean,” he said.
He stressed that local government and citizens must work together to prevent flooding and protect public health.
The Executive Secretary of LACSOP, Mrs. Dede Kadiri, said CLAIM has been running since 2024 with a focus on clean environment and citizen accountability. “CLAIM wants to raise awareness on what is blocking our waterways and drainage. The solution is not outside. The solution lies with us. We want to make sure the next generation takes action,” she said.
The Chairman, Board of Trustees, LACSOP, Barr. Ayo Adebusoye, said the project is intentionally targeting young people aged 18-35 as climate action agents. “The climate change campaign has the youths as its primary centre of focus. We are preparing our youths so they can go out and train others,” he stated.
He added that waste can be turned into economic opportunity if managed properly.
“Waste is another source of wealth. We just need to use our intelligence. These wastes you are seeing are opportunities, but we have to be intentional about it,” he said.
Adebusoye linked poor waste disposal to broader social impacts. “The decision we take by throwing a plastic bottle out of the windows of our cars floods the gutters, and it is affecting all of us. We have to begin to see how everything connects with our health system, our education, and our environment,” he explained.
He said CLAIM has produced multilingual awareness videos in English, Yoruba and Pidgin to help youths explain these connections in communities. “The youths themselves organize, go out to places that need intervention, clean gutters, ensure proper disposal, and tell others what to do,” he added.
Stakeholders at the meeting agreed that sustainable climate action must combine government policy with community behavior change.
With Lagos facing increasing rainfall and flooding, officials said initiatives like CLAIM are critical to building resilience from the grassroots.
The project continues to engage communities in Apapa and Lagos Island with training, awareness, and waste-to-wealth initiatives aimed at creating green jobs and cleaner neighborhoods.
Highlight of the event was the cash prize awards to three youth groups who were know to have taken credible actions aimed at mitigating climate change impacts in Lagos Island East Local Council Development Area.
