Monday, July 13, 2026 - Ogun State Government has warned market leaders and traders to desist from indiscriminate waste disposal, saying any market found dumping refuse within its premises risks being shut down.
The warning comes amid growing concerns over the
accumulation of refuse and evidence of open defecation along sections of the
Lagos-Ibadan Expressway within the state.
A visit by our correspondence to the Mowe, Ibafo and Magboro
stretches of the expressway on Sunday revealed heaps of waste
littering the road median and adjoining roadsides, which have been turned into
illegal dumpsites.
At Mowe, decomposing refuse was seen at several points on
the median, while traces of human faeces indicated the continued practice of
open defecation in the area.
Similar conditions were observed in Ibafo and Magboro, with
another illegal refuse dump sighted near Lotto Bus Stop.
Reacting to the situation, a resident, Kunle Olalekan,
blamed the state government for what he described as inadequate enforcement of
environmental regulations.
He argued that authorities had failed to effectively monitor
traders operating along the expressway, allowing indiscriminate waste disposal
to persist.
“The Ogun State Government is to be blamed for this eyesore.
When you drive through the Lagos section of the expressway, you hardly see this
level of indiscriminate dumping, but here in Ogun, refuse is everywhere. The
government has not done enough to enforce environmental sanitation laws,” he
said.
Another resident, Ugo Chukwu, urged the government to
intensify enforcement efforts in markets situated along the Lagos-Ibadan
Expressway corridor, alleging that traders were responsible for much of the
waste.
According to him, heaps of corn husks and other refuse
regularly found on the Mowe median are believed to originate from nearby
markets.
“Most of the refuse appears to be coming from traders
operating close to the expressway. The government needs to extend its
enforcement to these markets because the waste does not end up there by
accident,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Ogun State Government reiterated that any
market found violating waste management regulations would face closure.
In a statement made available to journalists on Sunday,
the Special Adviser to the Governor and Managing Director of the Ogun State
Waste Management Authority, OGWAMA, Farouk Akintunde, issued the warning after
officials evacuated long-standing refuse dumps at the Farmers’ Market, Solu
Road, Ifo, and Mamu Market in Ifo and Ijebu North Local Government Areas.
Akintunde condemned the practice of dumping refuse within
market premises instead of disposing of it through designated collection points
serviced by government-approved waste operators.
He warned that poor waste management exposes food items to
contamination, increasing the risk of food poisoning and the spread of
preventable diseases.
“Markets should be clean and hygienic environments, not
centres for illegal waste disposal. These are places where people purchase food
for consumption, and exposing such items to refuse is unacceptable.
“The government will not tolerate actions by a few market
leaders and traders that endanger public health through improper waste
disposal,” he said.
Akintunde directed the leadership of the affected markets to
ensure strict compliance with sanitation regulations and coordinate traders to
maintain a clean environment.
He warned that any recurrence of indiscriminate waste
dumping would attract the closure of the affected markets in the interest of
public health and environmental safety.
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