Lagos govt shuts Ladipo market again

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The Lagos State Government has sealed the Ladipo Spare Parts Market, located along the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Road (Apapa–Oshodi Expressway), due to alleged repeated environmental infractions.

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The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, announced the closure in a post on X on Sunday.

“Lagos State Government this morning sealed Ladipo Spare Parts Market along Murtala Muhammed International Airport Road (Apapa–Oshodi Expressway) over repeated environmental infractions, including indiscriminate refuse disposal on the median/highway and illegal street trading,” he wrote.

The latest action marks another enforcement measure against the market, which has faced previous sanctions over environmental and traffic violations.

In September 2023, the commissioner ordered the closure of the market for offences including reckless waste disposal, unhygienic premises and non-payment of waste bills.

The market was subsequently reopened in October 2023 after authorities said it met the conditions set for compliance.

At the time, Mr Wahab said the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu prioritised environmental cleanliness, public health and safety in line with the THEMES Plus agenda.

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The Managing Director of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Muyiwa Gbadegesin, had also warned that markets that failed to comply with environmental regulations risked indefinite closure.

In a separate but related enforcement effort in May 2025, the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation cleared the service lane at Toyota Bus Stop along the Apapa–Oshodi Expressway after traders and mechanics were reported to have converted the road into a parking lot and workshop.

During the operation, officials of the Removal of Abandoned Vehicles and Park Monitoring Committees towed at least 10 vehicles obstructing traffic.

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A team leader, Adegoke Wakili Sunmonu, said the exercise followed directives to rid Lagos roads of illegal parking and abandoned vehicles, lamenting that operators often returned to the road after previous enforcement actions.

The government has consistently maintained that market operators must comply with waste management and traffic regulations to ensure public safety and environmental sustainability.

The authorities have yet to announce conditions for the latest reopening of the market.