In a move aimed at restoring sanity and ensuring public health and compliance with the environmental laws, the Lagos State Government has shut down 14 markets and commercial facilities along the Ketu and Ikorodu Road axis.
The action followed a series of unheeded warnings and a sustained pattern of environmental abuse by market operators and traders in the affected areas, according to BusinessDay.
The affected markets include Erukan Market, Oja Oba Market, Ketu; Owoseni Tundas Market, Oba Ogunjobi Market, Shops Owners at BRT Terminal, Mile 12; Ketu Terminal Market (6 plazas), Ifesowapo Shop Owners Market, Demurin Street Plaza Shops, Ketu; Ifelodun Market, Ketu, and Ikosi Fruit Market.
Tokunbo Wahab, Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, who confirmed the action, reiterated the state’s stern stance on zero- tolerance for environmental nuisance, warning that any market or commercial outlet that failed to meet the prescribed standards of cleanliness and proper waste disposal would be shut down indefinitely.
He said, “The zero tolerance for waste initiative is still fully in force. We are not going back on it. The only acceptable path for all markets and traders is to adopt and maintain decent waste management practices as outlined by the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA). The markets under closure will remain shut until these standards are met and sustained.”
Wahab emphasised that the closures would remain in place indefinitely, until all affected markets implement comprehensive sanitation measures, procure appropriate waste bins, engage with LAWMA-licensed PSP operators, and demonstrate sustained compliance through monitoring and enforcement.
Also speaking, Muyiwa Gbadegesin, managing director/CEO of LAWMA, urged market leaders to take full responsibility for the environmental conditions of their domains by ensuring that all traders comply with existing waste management protocols.
“The expectations are clear: use the double dino bins, avoid dumping waste on road medians and roadsides, thereby obstructing traffic, activate internal waste policing to monitor compliance within your markets, and pay your waste bills. Markets that continue to defy these basic regulations will face stiff sanctions”, he said.
He warned that the enforcement drive would be intensified in the coming weeks, and that no facility would be spared if found wanting in its environmental responsibility.
Gbadegesin further reiterated LAWMA’s commitment to working with all stakeholders to build a cleaner Lagos, noting that the cooperation of market associations, traders, and residents was critical to achieving lasting results.
“LAWMA continues to deploy massive resources daily to evacuate market waste across the city. But these efforts are often undermined by poor internal waste practices. This has to change. Market leaders must do more to ensure their members operate within the bounds of the law,” said.
