By Keke Jako, August 29, 2026.
Before the morning sun could fully settle over Jalingo, the usual bustle of the Taraba State capital began to take a different shape.
Roads and public spaces that ordinarily witness the movement of people and vehicles became scenes of coordinated environmental activity as residents, environmental workers and security personnel joined hands in the monthly sanitation exercise.
At major road junctions, public places, malls and office premises, sweepers of the Taraba State Environmental Sanitation Agency (TSESA) were seen clearing dirt and sweeping their surroundings.
For many residents, the exercise was more than a routine government programme. It was a reminder that the responsibility for a clean city cannot rest entirely on the government.
The latest exercise recorded massive compliance across Jalingo metropolis, with residents turning out en masse to clean their homes, business premises and immediate surroundings.
Officials of TSESA also moved to designated refuse dumpsites, evacuating accumulated waste as part of efforts to prevent indiscriminate dumping and improve environmental sanitation across the metropolis.
Environmental sanitation has increasingly become an important issue in Taraba, particularly as urbanisation and population growth continue to put pressure on waste-management systems.
Jalingo, as the state capital and major administrative and commercial centre, generates significant volumes of household and commercial waste daily. Without regular collection, proper disposal and responsible waste-handling practices, refuse can accumulate in drainage channels, roadsides and open spaces.
The monthly sanitation exercise therefore provides an opportunity for residents to confront some of these challenges collectively.
But environmental experts and sanitation authorities have repeatedly emphasised that a single day of sweeping cannot by itself solve the problem of waste management.
The real test, therefore, is what happens after the exercise.
This is where the message from TSESA Chairman, Iliya Kefas Alhaji, becomes significant.
While monitoring the exercise alongside security personnel and environmental officers, Alhaji urged residents to sustain the culture of cleanliness beyond the designated sanitation period.
He stressed that the monthly exercise had come to stay and called for continued public support for the government's vision of a cleaner Taraba.
According to him, achieving a clean environment requires collective responsibility, with government agencies and residents playing complementary roles.
The sanitation campaign is not limited to sweeping and evacuation of refuse. Enforcement remains another critical component.
Alhaji used the occasion to warn livestock owners against allowing their animals to roam freely within the streets of the metropolis.
He said animals found wandering on the streets would be apprehended by the Agency, while their owners could face prosecution in accordance with environmental regulations.
The warning highlights another persistent urban-management challenge: the interaction between livestock ownership and expanding urban settlements.
Uncontrolled movement of livestock can create sanitation concerns, obstruct traffic and contribute to the degradation of public spaces. Effective enforcement, coupled with public awareness, is therefore essential if the capital is to maintain a cleaner and more orderly environment.
The TSESA chairman also acknowledged the support of Governor Agbu Kefas to the Agency.
Alhaji said the recent letter of commendation from the governor was an indication of the administration's interest in and commitment to the success of the sanitation programme.
For TSESA, such institutional support is important because sustained sanitation requires more than periodic mobilisation. It requires personnel, equipment, waste evacuation, enforcement, public enlightenment and cooperation from communities.
The governor's backing, therefore, provides political and administrative support for the Agency's efforts to institutionalise environmental cleanliness in the state capital.
While the latest exercise provides encouraging signs in Jalingo, the broader sanitation challenge extends beyond the state capital.
Taraba is a large state with 16 local government areas, and maintaining clean communities requires a coordinated approach involving state institutions, local councils, businesses, traditional institutions and residents.
The sustainability of the sanitation campaign will ultimately depend on whether the culture of cleanliness becomes embedded in everyday life.
Residents must avoid indiscriminate dumping of refuse. Traders must keep their business environments clean. Property owners must maintain their premises and drainage channels, while livestock owners must ensure that their animals do not constitute a nuisance within urban areas.
Government, on its part, must continue to provide the institutional framework, waste-evacuation mechanisms, enforcement and public education required to support the people.
From Sanitation Day to a Culture of Cleanliness
The strongest message emerging from the latest exercise is that sanitation should not be treated as a once-a-month obligation.
A clean city is built through daily habits.
The broom used during the monthly exercise may remove the visible dirt, but lasting environmental improvement requires a change in behaviour: proper waste disposal, regular cleaning of surroundings, protection of drainage systems and respect for public spaces.
As TSESA personnel concluded their monitoring activities at 10:00 a.m., the exercise may have officially ended for the day. But the larger environmental responsibility remained.
For Jalingo to become cleaner and healthier, the real sanitation exercise must continue every day—in homes, markets, offices, streets and communities.
The monthly exercise may provide the momentum.
But sustaining a clean Taraba will ultimately depend on what residents do when the sanitation officials are no longer watching.
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