Volunteers across states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) participated in the inaugural Nigeria Cleanup Day 2026 on Saturday.
The nationwide environmental initiative was organised by the African Cleanup Initiative (ACI), in partnership with the United Nations Information Centre, Abuja.
The exercise, held to commemorate Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary, mobilised citizens to clean streets, communities, schools, markets and other public spaces.
It also promoted citizen responsibility, community ownership, recycling and sustainable environmental practices.
Speaking during the Advocacy Walk for Recycling and the Environment (AWARE) in Lagos, ACI President, Dr Alexander Akhigbe, said sustainable environmental change must begin with citizens.
Akhigbe, who is also the Convener of Nigeria Cleanup Day, spoke during the walk from Ojuelegba Underbridge to Teslim Balogun Stadium.
“The cleanup was the action, but community ownership is the vision,” he said.
He said the initiative was designed to build a culture where citizens would take responsibility for their environment without waiting for government or organisations.
The Co-Convener of Nigeria Cleanup Day, Amb. Zainab Mohammed, participated in the cleanup exercise at Kuje Local Council in Abuja.
Mohammed emphasised the importance of collective environmental action and community responsibility in achieving cleaner and healthier communities.
She said environmental sustainability was closely connected to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
According to her, initiatives such as Nigeria Cleanup Day provide citizens with opportunities to translate the SDGs from global commitments into practical community action.
She reaffirmed her commitment to advancing sustainable development through collaboration among citizens, communities, civil society, government and other stakeholders.
Activities during the nationwide exercise included community and public-space cleanup, waste collection and sorting, recycling advocacy, environmental education and climate awareness.
Other activities included tree planting and the Advocacy Walk for Recycling and the Environment (AWARE).
The organisers said the decentralised approach linked national coordination with state and community-level mobilisation.
They said the approach enabled participating communities to address local environmental challenges while contributing to a shared national vision.
The organisers said the impact of Nigeria Cleanup Day should extend beyond the waste collected during the exercise.
They urged citizens to make proper waste disposal, recycling and environmental responsibility part of their daily activities.
Akhigbe said the initiative was ultimately aimed at creating everyday custodians of the environment across the country.
“The environment is God’s gift to man; how we treat it, is our gift to humanity,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to move beyond one-day cleanup activities and embrace sustained responsibility for cleaner and healthier communities.
He said a cleaner Nigeria could begin with individual citizens taking responsibility for their immediate surroundings.
