Non-compliant businesses turned area into dumping site despite availability of PSP operators, public waste bins

Babajide Fadoju

The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) Waste Investigation, Surveillance and Enforcement (WISE) team has commenced the sealing of shops and plazas along Tejuosho and Ojuelegba Road, following the expiration of Intention to Seal notices served to non-compliant business owners. The enforcement action, which began on Thursday, targets establishments that have persistently violated environmental sanitation laws by engaging in indiscriminate dumping of waste.

According to the Authority, the area along Tejuosho/Ojuelegba Road had become a dumping ground for traders and some residents, despite the availability of assigned PSP operators and nearby public waste bins. The businesses and residents had turned the environment into a refuse dump, defacing the area and posing serious public health risks. LAWMA had previously served notices warning of the consequences of non-compliance, but the warnings were ignored.

The Authority noted that the Yaba flyover on the way to Tejuosho is cleared daily, as is the road median itself, by LAWMA sanitation crews. However, the efforts of the crews were being undermined by the indiscriminate dumping practices of the businesses and residents in the area. The sealing of the shops is part of a broader enforcement strategy to ensure that all commercial entities comply with environmental regulations and contribute to a cleaner environment.