Lagos Cracks Down On Illegal Trading, Shuts Down Ajah Market
The Lagos state government has shut down the Ajah market and cleared away illegal structures erected by traders near the Jubilee bridge, as part of its campaign to enforce environmental sanitation and order in the state.
The operation, which took place on Sunday, November 5, 2023, involved officials from the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) and the environmental task force.
The officials removed the makeshift stalls and shops that were obstructing the traffic flow and creating a nuisance around the bridge, and sealed off the market for violating the state’s waste management regulations.
The senior special assistant to the Lagos governor on new media, Jubril Gawat, announced the action on his X page, saying it was in line with the state’s declaration of “zero tolerance ‘War on Waste'”.
He posted pictures of the demolished structures and the sealed market, and warned other traders and market operators to comply with the state’s environmental laws or face similar consequences.
The closure of the Ajah market is the latest in a series of measures taken by the state government to curb illegal trading and improve environmental hygiene in the state.
Last month, the government also sealed off the Alaba international market in the Ojo local government area, one of the largest electronics markets in Africa, for poor waste disposal practices, failure to pay waste bills and gross environmental sanitation offences.
The commissioner for environment and water resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said the market was a major source of environmental pollution and health hazards, and that the government would not tolerate any form of indiscipline or lawlessness in the state.
He said the market would remain closed until the traders and the market management complied with the state’s environmental standards and paid their outstanding bills.
He also urged other markets and commercial centres in the state to adhere to the state’s environmental policies and cooperate with the government in its efforts to make Lagos a clean, safe and livable city.
