By Pius Awunah
The Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) has begun full-scale monitoring of sanitation activities across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as 54 solid waste management contractors resumed cleaning and waste evacuation operations.
The development follows last week’s directive by the Minister of the FCT, Mr. Nyesom Wike, who met with the newly engaged contractors and ordered an immediate and visible improvement in sanitation across the territory, warning that excuses would not be tolerated.
Speaking during an inspection of the first day of operations on Monday, November 17,2025, the AEPB Director of Solid Waste Management (North), Enwerem Benjamin, said the exercise was in line with the minister’s push to restore cleanliness and proper environmental management to Abuja.
“Today marks the official commencement of operations by the new contractors, in line with the Minister’s directives. We are here on this first day of implementation to assess their deployment of equipment and personnel on the field,” he said.
Benjamin noted that the monitoring team had already covered the Central Business District (CBD), Maitama District and parts of Asokoro, adding that the contractors’ early performance was encouraging.
“The performance is fair. They have started well. If they sustain this momentum, just as the minister said, within five days, residents will forget the environmental state they saw in the past,” he stated.
The director said the oversight would ensure strict implementation of contractual obligations and help maintain cleanliness across the city.
He also appealed to residents to take responsibility by ensuring proper waste disposal measures in their homes and business premises.
“Residents who do not have proper waste bins need to get one immediately. Our next step is to conduct inspections to identify households without the required bins,” he warned.
Benjamin expressed appreciation to the FCT Minister for approving the long-awaited city-cleaning contract, describing it as a major boost to the AEPB’s operations.
He assured residents that the board would continue to monitor the contractors closely to ensure sustained improvement in sanitation standards across the capital city.
