The Blue Lagos Initiative has carried out a multi-sectoral community engagement and sensitisation programme in the riverine communities of Sagbonkodji, Ilado-Odo and Takwa Bay.
The outreach done in collaboration with the Lagos State Office of Political, Legislative and Civic Engagement, OPLCE, the Lagos State Health Management Agency, LASHMA and the Lagos State Waterways Authority, LASWA, held on July 8.
During the exercise, notebooks were distributed to pupils, mosquito nets to pregnant women and waste nylon bags to residents as part of efforts to improve education, public health and environmental sanitation.
Representatives of the participating organisations reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring that riverine communities benefit from essential government services and development programmes.
The Blue Lagos Initiative urged residents to embrace responsible waste management, environmental protection and collective action against pollution and flooding to promote cleaner and healthier communities.
Officials from OPLCE sensitised residents on the importance of civic participation and introduced the Citizen Gate Platform, a digital platform designed to improve communication between citizens and government, provide access to government information and enable residents to report community concerns. Residents were also registered on the platform during the exercise.
The Lagos State Health Management Agency educated residents on the Ilera Eko and EKO-SHA health insurance schemes and introduced aspects of its Telemedicine Initiative aimed at improving healthcare access for hard-to-reach riverine communities.
Officials of the Lagos State Waterways Authority also conducted safety awareness sessions on the proper use of life jackets and compliance with waterways safety regulations.
Community leaders commended the participating organisations for bringing critical information and services closer to residents, describing the initiative as a demonstration of the Lagos State Government’s commitment to inclusive development.
Speaking at the end of the programme, Convener of the Blue Lagos Sustainability Initiative, Adesanya Saheed Olayinka, said sustainable development can only be achieved through active community participation.
“Sustainable development can only be achieved when communities are actively involved in shaping solutions to their challenges. Through partnerships and continuous engagement, we are ensuring that no riverine community is left behind in Lagos’ development journey,” he said.
