By Awyetu Asabe Hope
The Oyo State Government has introduced a daily environmental sanitation monitoring and enforcement system to promote a cleaner and healthier environment.
The Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Ademola Aderinto, disclosed this during a press briefing marking his first 100 days in office.
Aderinto said the state had moved away from the traditional monthly sanitation exercise to a more proactive daily approach, urging residents to take responsibility for cleanliness.
“We are now enforcing daily environmental sanitation. Our officers are on the field every day to ensure compliance, and cleanliness must become a daily responsibility,” he said.
To strengthen enforcement, the commissioner said the ministry re-engaged 930 environmental vanguards, sweepers and waste packers, and procured two new compactor trucks with the support of Governor Seyi Makinde.
He added that the environmental workforce had been restructured to improve sanitation coverage, with sweepers now operating twice daily. The workers are also being enrolled in the Oyo State Health Insurance Scheme.
The ministry also launched the Oyo Soro Soke (Oyo SSS) Environmental Whistleblower platform, accessible via mobile apps and WhatsApp, to enable residents report environmental violations.
Aderinto said the ministry had introduced a waste segregation system across government offices and initiated public-private partnerships for the construction of modern public toilets.
He further highlighted improved public engagement through regular advisories on flooding, heat waves, cholera and Lassa fever, as well as efforts to regulate charcoal production and end open defecation.
“The future of our environment in Oyo State is bright. What we have achieved in 100 days is only the beginning,” he said.
