The Arewa community in the Lagos west senatorial district has pledged to cooperate with the authorities by leading a campaign towards ending open defecation in Lagos.

The group made the pledge at a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) at the Ikeja local council hall, Lagos.

They demanded for more public toilets in strategic locations across the state to end the menace. The community leaders appealed to the government to support them with capital and ensure that the cost of renting shops is reduced.

Meanwhile, Ikeja local council authority has promised to increase the campaign for clean environment and urged the public to support the agency in its drive to sanitise the state.

Speaking during the meeting, the Corps Marshal, LAGESC, Gbemisola Akinpelu, assured that the agency would continue to take the issue of sanitation in the state seriously. She noted that this prompted the periodic stakeholder’s engagement organised by the agency.

She advised the stakeholders to embrace proper waste disposal, recycling, and regular cleaning of the surroundings to prevent the spread of diseases, reduce pollution, and preserve natural resources.

“Our communities are the heart and soul of Lagos. They are the places we call home, where our families grow, and where we forge lasting connections. It is within these communities that the power to make a difference truly resides. So, by actively engaging in environmental sanitation practices, we can create a ripple effect that will transform our neighbourhood.”

Vice chairman, Ikeja local council, Yomi Mayungbe, said: “Cleanliness is next to godliness, we must put in our best to ensure that our environment is clean.

Reacting, executive member, Arewa Community in Ikeja, said: “Everybody wants to come to Lagos but Lagos is a small place. We have been talking to our people and hence, the engagement on the need to keep the environment clean. I will go back and take the message to them.”