LAWMA Seals Markets, Plazas in Ayobo-Ipaja Over Persistent Illegal Dumping
The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has intensified its environmental enforcement drive in the Ayobo-Ipaja axis of Lagos State, sealing several markets and plazas over repeated environmental violations and failure to comply with directives on proper waste disposal.
The affected facilities include Rock of Age Plaza, Ajerogun 1 Market, Ayobo Market and Oba Plaza, all located within the Ayobo area.
LAWMA disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday by its Director of Public Affairs, Mukaila Sanusi, noting that the enforcement action formed part of sustained efforts to curb indiscriminate dumping and restore environmental cleanliness across the axis.
According to the agency, the latest operation was carried out on Sunday by its Project WISE team as part of a broader intervention aimed at addressing persistent waste-management challenges in communities around Ayobo and Ipaja.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, said the sealing exercise was necessary because of repeated infractions and the failure of the affected facilities to comply with environmental regulations and previous directives issued by the Authority.
Gbadegesin explained that the enforcement operation was being complemented by an ongoing waste evacuation and environmental sanitation exercise across several locations within the Ayobo axis.
Global Mirror News gathered that LAWMA operational teams have been working to remove accumulated refuse from a number of identified waste-prone locations, including Oluwaga Bus Stop by Sawmill, the Ayobo Road median around Rainoil, Atan Nla by TCN, Ayobo Police Post and Megida Bus Stop, among other locations.
The LAWMA boss said the Authority was determined not only to clear existing refuse but also to prevent the affected locations from returning to their previous condition.
He stressed that waste evacuation must be accompanied by continuous monitoring and enforcement, warning that areas already cleared could quickly become waste black spots again if residents, traders and businesses returned to indiscriminate dumping.
Gbadegesin further emphasised that achieving a cleaner and healthier Lagos required collective responsibility, urging residents, traders, businesses and other waste generators to comply with approved waste-disposal arrangements.
He said LAWMA would continue to take appropriate enforcement measures against individuals, markets, plazas and other establishments whose activities violate environmental regulations or contribute to the indiscriminate disposal of waste.
The LAWMA chief urged residents and business operators within the Ayobo-Ipaja axis to support the ongoing intervention by patronising their assigned Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators and ensuring that their waste is disposed of through approved channels.
He also advised members of the public to desist from dumping refuse on roads, medians, drainage channels, vacant spaces and other unauthorised locations, warning that such practices could undermine the environmental gains being recorded across the axis.
The latest enforcement action underscores the Lagos State Government’s continued push to tackle indiscriminate waste disposal and sustain cleaner communities through a combination of sanitation operations, public awareness, monitoring and enforcement.
LAWMA, meanwhile, maintained that compliance with environmental regulations remained essential to preventing the recurrence of waste accumulation and ensuring a cleaner and healthier environment for residents of Lagos.
