The 2025 campaign carries the slogan ‘Strive for Five’, urging communities to mobilize at least 5 percent of their populations. Research indicates that this percentage marks the tipping point necessary to drive systemic societal and environmental change.
This year’s focus highlights one of the most pressing yet under-discussed waste issues: the pollution caused by the fashion and textile industry. Globally, an estimated 92 million tonnes of textiles are discarded annually, the equivalent of a garbage truck full of clothes being dumped every second. Addressing textile waste is closely tied to promoting sustainable consumption and transitioning toward circular economies.
World Cleanup Day directly supports several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, SDG 13: Climate Action, SDG 14: Life Below Water and SDG 15: Life on Land
Over the years, many national, regional, local governments and communities have been undertaking clean-up activities. Globally World Cleanup Day represents the reflection on their achievements. The clean-ups serve as a reminder of the collective responsibility we share in preserving and maintaining a clean and healthy environment as well as sustainable waste and resources management.
Solid waste management affects every single person in the world, whether individuals are managing their own waste or governments are providing waste management services to their citizens. As nations and cities urbanize, develop economically, and grow in terms of population, the World Bank estimates that waste generation will increase from 2.01 billion tonnes in 2016 to 3.40 billion tonnes in 2050. At least 33 percent of this waste is mismanaged globally today through open dumping or burning.
This year’s World Cleanup Day in Nigeria paraded NGO’s, Students, Banks, Agencies of government and Corporate Organisations and others.
For instance in a bid to mark this year’s World Cleanup Day, the National Association of Nigerian Students, Lagos State Chapter, mobilised students to lead what it described as the ‘largest environmental cleanup in Lagos State.’
The event took place at Iyana-Iba Market in Ojo Local Government Area, with hundreds of student volunteers, community members, and partner organisations removing solid waste, promoting recycling, and educating traders and residents on sustainable environmental practices.
The exercise featured collaboration between development partners, student bodies, and local NGOs.
The large-scale activation, hosted at Iyana-Iba Market, Ojo Local Government Area, brought together hundreds of student volunteers, student leaders, community members, and partner organisations, including GenImpact Africa, Lima Adejoke Foundation, and the Rotaract Club of Lagos State University (LASU). Participants worked collectively to remove solid waste, promote proper recycling practices, and sensitise traders and residents on sustainable environmental management.’
The Lagos Waste Management Authority helped to evacuate the collected waste.
The organisers said, ‘The initiative formed part of an ongoing collaboration between UNICEF and NANS Lagos aimed at advancing youth engagement on climate action and the Sustainable Development Goals.’ They also expressed appreciation to all parties involved in the activity.
‘The organisers expressed profound appreciation to all volunteers, market stakeholders, and partner agencies whose contributions made the World Cleanup Day event a benchmark for coordinated environmental action in Lagos,’
Among the corporate organisations that participated actively in this year’s clean-up was Wema Bank where volunteers took on the vital work of cleaning and restoring their communities. 133 staff members of the Bank spread across Lagos, Abia, Nasarawa, and Ogun State showed up with gloves on and bags in hand to contribute to the initiative.
At the end of the exercise, the numbers spoke volumes: These volunteers had cleared 3,962 kilograms of waste from streets, drains, beaches and markets. 89.5 kilograms of the waste were recyclable materials that will now be re-channeled into the circular economy.
For Wema Bank, this was no one-off show of goodwill. The Bank has been an active participant in the global World Cleanup Day movement, evacuating over 13,000kg of waste and recyclables over the last 7 years. In previous years, the bank has proudly joined this cause by actively partnering with community groups and organizations to commemorate the day each year. From restoring the Kids Beach Garden in Lekki (2018) to collaborating with Ibadan Catholic Youth Organization (IBCYON) and the state government to revitalize communities in Ibadan (2019), the Bank has expanded its impact.
In the following years, the Bank joined forces with prominent cleanup initiatives like theAfrican Clean-Up Initiative (ACI) and International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) to restore vital coastal and urban areas such as Eleko-Idado Beach and Ojuelegba, Navy Beach and Makoko (2020-2025) respectively.
So far, statistics say over 63,730 beneficiaries have been impacted with this initiative.
Since its launch, the World Cleanup Day has stood as a global movement dedicated to uniting millions in the fight against environmental pollution. The event mobilizes millions across continents for a single 24-hour wave of action. Let’s Do It World NGO’s data notes that more than 20 million volunteers across 191 countries took part in the 2024 edition, just one year after the UN officially proclaimed September 20 as the annual observance day. The participants were all united by a simple but powerful mission: rid the planet of waste and mismanaged trash, one community at a time. If left unchecked the consequences are stark experts say suggesting increased greenhouse gas emissions from decomposing waste, microplastics in oceans, and the growing economic costs of cleaning and managing refuse.
The bank has worked on building a culture of environmental consciousness that is as consistent as it is impactful. This custom is embedded in staff and recreated across the bank where waste management and recycling is a big part of how its amenities are managed. What began as a single day of volunteer action in 2018 has become a daily and by extension, yearly tradition that reflects the bank’s broader commitment to sustainability and community stewardship.
‘Our job as a financial institution doesn’t end at providing banking solutions. We are deeply invested in the communities we serve, and part of that responsibility is making sure those communities are healthy, safe, and sustainable. World Cleanup Day gives us a chance to put our values into practice,’ says Managing Director and CEO of Wema Bank, Moruf Oseni,. ‘It allows us to roll up our sleeves and show that we care, not just about today’s business but about tomorrow’s environment. Over the years, our involvement in World Cleanup Day has allowed us to bring staff, partners and local stakeholders together to leave a meaningful footprint on our localities.’
Wema Bank’s actions on World Cleanup Day are not just about filling trash bags; they are about reducing disease vectors, protecting waterways, restoring civic pride, and demonstrating that collective action works. This year’s cleanup was a logistical feat. In Lagos, where urban density makes waste management a perennial challenge, Wema Bank partnered with Ocean Conservancy Nigeria to mark the 40th International Coastal Cleanup under the theme Seathechange.
At Alpha Beach in Lekki, 70 volunteers joined other stakeholders to tackle marine pollution head-on, preventing 285kg of debris from reaching the ocean. In Ogun State, the team turned its attention to Kuto Market in Abeokuta, partnering with Orange Strategy Waste Value Ltd for a cleanup that drew 75 volunteers. The volunteers split into two teams, one focusing on plastics and community advocacy, the other on general waste. In just ninety minutes, they cleared 720kilo gramme of refuse, including 68kilo gramme of plastic to be recycled.
Children came out to watch, some even joining in, turning the day into a spontaneous community learning moment about environmental hygiene. The effort earned praise from the Baba Oloja of Kuto Market.
In Abia, where market districts are often overwhelmed with post-trading waste, Wema Bank partnered with Sosocare for a cleanup at the bustling Shopping Clothing Center in Aba. Volunteers from the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Health, Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA) and National Environmental Standards and Regulation Enforcement Agency (NESREA) joined the effort.
By the end of the exercise, 121kilo gramme of waste had been cleared and properly disposed of, leaving the market cleaner and more accessible. The recyclables were sorted and transported for proper reprocessing, making a small but significant contribution to Nigeria’s growing recycling value chain.
The market cleanup continued in Mararaba Market, Nasarawa State, where it partnered with SproutBud , a community-driven social enterprise dedicated to waste recovery and recycling. Twenty Wema Bank volunteers, joined by representatives from Nasarawa State Waste and Sanitation Agency (NASWASA), Karu Youth Group, and PathShaker, began the day with a talk on responsible waste management and community participation.
By the end of the exercise, an impressive 2,800kg of waste had been cleared from the market and surrounding areas, making it one of the most impactful cleanups of the year and a powerful example of what corporate and community collaboration can achieve.
For volunteers like Victor Olajumoke, the experience went beyond corporate responsibility; it was deeply personal. ‘Walking through a beach littered with plastic, wrappers, bottles and even food waste, you see how ugly nature can look like when littered and how much of a difference a few hands can make. As I joined in the cleanup at Alpha Beach, I felt an immense sense of purpose,’ she says. ‘This is my community where I live and being able to take action to keep it clean means so much. It was also inspiring to see strangers join us along the way, asking for bags so they could help too. It reminded me that sometimes, people just need to see someone else take the first step.’
Her words capture the heart of World Cleanup Day as a movement built on the quiet power of example and community.
In the same vein, Wema Bank’s cleanup campaign is never done in isolation. The bank works with state and local government authorities, sanitation agencies, community leaders, and private waste operators to ensure that the cleanup is not just symbolic but part of a sustainable waste management chain. Trucks, waste bags, disposal points, and other logistical support are coordinated ahead of time so that what is collected is disposed of responsibly.
This year, the Lagos cleanup was supported by partners like Lagos Waste Management Agency (LAWMA), the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Plastic Evolution, and the Nigerian Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research.
In Ogun State the support came from the Ogun State Waste Management Authority officials. Such partnerships are crucial as Nigeria generates an estimated 32 million tonnes of solid waste annually, of which only about 30 percent is collected. By collaborating with public institutions, Wema Bank ensures that its efforts plug into formal systems, amplifying impact and avoiding duplication.
Head of Corporate Sustainability, Wema Bank, Abimbola Agbejule, sees these collaborations as essential to the bank’s long-term strategy.
She shared, ‘World Cleanup Day is our opportunity to bring people together, to inspire action, and to demonstrate what corporate social investment looks like. But it’s also a launchpad for the relationships we build with government agencies, local waste managers, and community groups that allow us to keep the conversation going all year long. Our long-term goal is to see cleaner cities, healthier citizens, and stronger recycling habits in the communities where we operate. That can only happen when we all work together.’
The impact of cleanup actions like Wema Bank’s extends far beyond what can be measured on the scale.
Removing nearly four tonnes of waste means fewer clogged drains and reduced risk of flooding, which is a real benefit for public health in urban areas. Diverting 89.5 kilograms of recyclables means lower demand for virgin raw materials and a small but measurable reduction in carbon footprint.
Each volunteer hour contributes to a shift in culture, signaling that waste management is everyone’s business.
The work also maps neatly to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, showing that cleaner environments reduce the spread of waterborne diseases, making progress toward good health and well-being more attainable. Also, cleaner streets and well-managed waste make cities more livable and resilient; recycling and waste sorting encourage responsible consumption and production; and reduced landfill waste means lower methane emissions and climate action.
Going further, the effects of a well-organized cleanup day means there would be less plastic entering waterways and that protects marine life and supports life below water. Healthy terrestrial ecosystems also benefit when litter and hazardous waste are removed from soil, and the collaboration between private sector, government, and civil society demonstrates that partnerships are key to driving lasting change.