The Lagos State Government has shut down several markets and commercial spaces in the Ketu and Mile 12 areas over persistent violations of the state’s environmental laws, in a sweeping enforcement exercise aimed at tackling illegal waste disposal.
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, announced the development Friday morning, following a Thursday night operation that targeted locations notorious for indiscriminate dumping of refuse on roads, medians, and highways.
According to Wahab, the clampdown became necessary to protect public health and restore environmental sanity in the state’s heavily congested trading zones.
The affected locations include popular markets and clusters long flagged for poor sanitation practices. Among them are major hubs in Mile 12 and Ketu, including roadside shops, terminal plazas, and garages known for defying waste management protocols. Wahab emphasised that these actions are backed by the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law of 2017, adding that continued disregard for proper waste disposal poses grave risks to residents and the environment.
In recent years, traders in these areas have faced repeated warnings from state authorities. Thursday’s closure signals a shift from verbal caution to full enforcement. The Commissioner called on market leaders and shop owners to embrace responsible waste management or risk similar sanctions.
He stressed that keeping Lagos clean is a shared responsibility and that the government will no longer tolerate acts that endanger public health. The enforcement, he added, forms part of a wider initiative to instill discipline and ensure Lagos remains livable and environmentally safe.
