The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has closed several markets in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, over environmental violations and unpaid waste bills. The affected markets include the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex, which houses the largest auto spare parts market in Africa, and the popular Ladipo Market in Mushin.

According to the Board of Trustees of the Trade Fair, the marketers have lost over N2 billion (about $4.8 million) in revenue since the closure on Sunday, October 22, 2023. They described the move by LAWMA as “sudden and unjust” and said they had no prior notice or communication from the agency. They also claimed that they did not owe any waste bills and had receipts to prove it.

The Trade Fair Stakeholders Forum, the umbrella body for the 62 associations in the Complex, said they felt victimized by the Lagos government and appealed for a swift resolution of the matter. They said the closure came at a critical time when the economy was already suffering from the effects of the fuel subsidy removal and the global recession.

LAWMA, however, said the closure was necessary to enforce proper environmental hygiene and compliance with the state’s environmental protection laws. The agency said the markets were guilty of reckless waste disposal, unhygienic premises, and general environmental sanitation infractions. It also said the markets had failed to pay their waste bills for several months, despite repeated warnings and notices.

The agency’s Director of Public Affairs, Mrs. Folashade Kadiri, said the closure was carried out in partnership with the Lagos Task Force on Environmental Sanitation and Special Offenses and the Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC). She said the markets would remain closed until they met the mandatory conditions of redress, which include clearing their outstanding debts, cleaning their premises, and adhering to waste management guidelines.

She also said the agency was planning to dislodge illegal market structures across the city to improve urban planning and traffic flow. She urged the market associations, local authorities, and stakeholders to cooperate with LAWMA and support its efforts to ensure a cleaner and healthier environment for all residents.

The closure of the markets followed similar actions taken against Oyingbo, Alayabiagba, Oke-Odo, and some sections of Tejuosho markets for environmental infractions. LAWMA said it would not hesitate to take decisive actions against any market that flouted environmental laws and regulations.

The Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, who ordered the closure, said the state government was fully committed to collaborating with the market stakeholders to facilitate necessary adjustments and improvements. He said the state government was also working to provide adequate infrastructure and facilities for waste management and environmental sanitation in the markets.

He expressed optimism that the closure would serve as a wake-up call for the markets to embrace proper environmental hygiene and compliance, adding that it would also boost the state’s economy and attract more investors and customers. He assured the traders that the closure was not meant to punish them, but to protect their health and livelihoods.

Source: [Vanguard]