The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) will begin arresting and prosecuting residents who buy from traders operating illegally on roads, medians, walkways, setbacks and other unauthorised public spaces across Lagos from next week.
LAWMA Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, announced the planned enforcement on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at the authority’s headquarters in Lagos.
Gbadegesin said the renewed enforcement would target both illegal traders and their customers, arguing that continued patronage encourages trading activities that contribute to environmental problems across the state.
He cited Section 151(2) of the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law 2017, which makes it an offence to purchase goods displayed or offered for sale in prohibited locations.
“From next week, anyone found buying from traders operating on roadsides, medians, walkways, setbacks or other unauthorised spaces will be arrested, alongside the traders, and prosecuted in accordance with the law,” Gbadegesin said.
According to the LAWMA chief, anyone convicted of the offence could face a fine of ₦90,000, imprisonment for six months, or both.
Gbadegesin said illegal roadside and median trading often creates additional waste management problems, with refuse generated around such locations ending up on roads, in drainage channels and other public spaces.
He linked the activities to blocked drainage channels, increased traffic congestion and public health risks, saying enforcement against traders alone had not been enough to prevent illegal markets from returning after previous operations.
“Our objective is to stop the cycle that allows illegal trading and indiscriminate waste disposal to return after enforcement operations. Traders occupy public spaces because people continue to patronise them,” he said.
The LAWMA boss also said the authority was strengthening waste collection services in inner streets and communities around previously cleared dumping hotspots, with service gaps to be addressed.
He warned that deliberate dumping, redumping and patronage of illegal markets would continue to attract sanctions.
Gbadegesin urged Lagos residents and businesses to patronise recognised markets and use approved waste collection channels, saying convenience should not undermine public health, road safety and the orderly use of public spaces.
The planned enforcement marks a shift in LAWMA’s approach by placing legal responsibility not only on those selling goods in prohibited locations but also on residents who sustain the activities through patronage.
