By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
Several shops along the Tejuosho-Ojuelegba corridor in Lagos have been shut by the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) after their owners persistently ignored warnings against dumping refuse on road medians, defying months of advocacy and sensitisation by the state government.
The crackdown, which took place on Sunday, 2 August, 2026 was carried out by LAWMA’s Waste Investigation, Surveillance and Enforcement (WISE) team, working alongside officials of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (KAI), personnel of OP MESA, and the Nigeria Police, in a joint operation targeting businesses that had continued to flout environmental sanitation laws despite repeated engagements.
Disclosing this in a statement on his official X account, the Managing Director of LAWMA, Muyiwa Gbadegesin, said the enforcement exercise was triggered by the refusal of affected traders to heed earlier warnings, forcing the agency to escalate action against them.
He stated, “Today, our @Lawma_gov Waste Investigation, Surveillance and Enforcement (WISE) team, working alongside @LAGESCOfficial (KAI) officials, OP MESA military personnel and the Nigeria Police, is carrying out another round of enforcement operations along the Tejuosho-Ojuelegba corridor, with shops being sealed over the indiscriminate disposal of waste on the road median.”
According to him, the affected businesses were concentrated on Modele Street, Fagbile Street, and Maja Street, locations he said had remained hotspots for environmental violations despite sustained government intervention.
“The operation currently covers Modele Street, Fagbile Street and Maja Street, where persistent environmental sanitation violations continue despite sustained advocacy, repeated warnings and previous engagements. These enforcement actions are necessary to restore environmental order, protect public infrastructure and ensure compliance with Lagos State environmental laws,” Gbadegesin said.
He disclosed that the sealed shops would not be reopened until their owners fully complied with the state’s sanitation standards, stressing that the shutdown was not indefinite but conditional on compliance.
“The affected shops will remain sealed until the required sanitation standards are met and full compliance with environmental regulations is achieved,” he said.
Despite the tough stance, the LAWMA boss maintained that the agency’s overriding goal was to compel compliance rather than to punish business owners, noting that the enforcement was a last resort after other measures failed to yield results.
He appealed to residents and traders across the state to embrace responsible waste disposal practices to avoid similar sanctions.
“Our objective remains compliance, not punishment. We urge all businesses and residents to patronise their assigned PSP operators, keep their surroundings clean and dispose of waste responsibly. Together, we can build a cleaner, healthier and more liveable Lagos,” he said.
The Sunday operation is coming on the heels of months of intensified enforcement by the Lagos State Government through LAWMA and other agencies, as authorities battle to curb indiscriminate waste disposal, prevent flooding caused by blocked drainage channels, and safeguard public health across the state.
The state government had repeatedly cautioned residents and businesses to patronise their assigned Private Sector Participant (PSP) waste operators and comply with extant waste management laws, warning that violators risked having their premises sealed, a threat now being enforced on defaulting traders along the Tejuosho-Ojuelegba axis.
