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The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) says it has continued its enforcement and environmental sanitation exercise along the Badagry Expressway, clearing illegal structures and vehicles occupying public spaces between the Lagos State University (LASU) Gate and Okokomaiko.
The agency disclosed this in a statement shared on its official X account on Monday.
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According to LAWMA, the operation targeted makeshift structures and illegal occupants obstructing the corridor as part of efforts to restore order, improve environmental sanitation and enhance the free flow of traffic along one of Lagos’ busiest highways.
“The clearance operation along the Badagry Expressway continued from LASU Gate to Okokomaiko, where illegal occupiers and structures were removed to restore order and improve the corridor,” the agency said.
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LAWMA stated that the exercise was carried out in collaboration with the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), whose officials also removed vehicles illegally parked on the road median.
“In collaboration with LASTMA, enforcement teams also removed vehicles that had been illegally using the median as a parking area, while demolition activities and the evacuation of debris progressed across the affected locations,” the agency added.
The agency revealed that the operation is part of the Lagos State Government’s ongoing efforts to reclaim public spaces, improve environmental sanitation and ease traffic congestion across the state.
The latest exercise comes as the state government intensifies enforcement of environmental laws following growing concerns over indiscriminate waste disposal and the misuse of public infrastructure in several parts of Lagos.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that drainage channels along the Apapa-Oworonshoki Expressway, another major transport corridor, had become clogged with plastic bottles, nylon bags, food packs and other refuse. During visits to the area, this newspaper also observed human excreta in parts of the drainage, highlighting persistent sanitation and public health concerns despite ongoing environmental clean-up efforts.
Responding to the findings, LAWMA’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Muyiwa Gbadegesin, told newspaper on Monday that the agency would investigate the affected stretch and carry out enforcement, noting that open defecation is prohibited under Lagos environmental laws.
The investigation followed Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s directive to LAWMA, the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) and the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources to intensify waste evacuation and environmental enforcement after concerns over mounting refuse across roads, drainage channels and other public spaces in the state.
On Monday, LAWMA stressed that the Badagry Expressway operation formed part of those sustained efforts to restore order along major roads and improve the environment for residents and road users.
“The ongoing exercise forms part of sustained efforts to reclaim public spaces, improve traffic flow, and create a cleaner, safer environment for all road users,” the agency said.
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