LAWMA Warns Lagos Residents: Buying from Illegal Roadside Traders Could Lead to Jail

The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has warned residents against patronising traders who operate illegally on roads, medians, walkways, road setbacks and other unauthorised public spaces across the state.

The authority said residents who buy goods from such traders could also face arrest and prosecution, alongside the traders themselves, when a renewed enforcement exercise begins next week.

LAWMA Managing Director, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, issued the warning on Tuesday at the agency’s headquarters in Lagos.

He said the move was part of a renewed strategy to tackle illegal street trading, indiscriminate waste disposal and the obstruction of public infrastructure in different parts of the state.

According to Gbadegesin, the enforcement will go beyond arresting traders who occupy prohibited areas.

Customers who patronise them could also be held liable under Section 151(2) of the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law, 2017.

He explained that the law prohibits not only illegal street trading but also the purchase of goods displayed or offered for sale in prohibited locations.

Gbadegesin said anyone caught purchasing goods from traders operating on roadsides, medians, walkways, setbacks or other unauthorised spaces would be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.

He added that anyone convicted of the offence could be fined ₦90,000, sentenced to up to six months in prison, or face both penalties.

The LAWMA boss explained that illegal roadside and median trading often creates serious environmental and public safety problems.

According to him, the activities frequently generate waste that is dumped into drainage channels, on roads and in other public spaces.

Such practices, he noted, can block drains, increase the risk of flooding, worsen traffic congestion and create unhealthy conditions for residents and commuters.

Gbadegesin stressed that the enforcement was designed to prevent illegal trading and indiscriminate waste disposal from returning after previous clean-up operations.

He said the continued patronage of roadside traders encourages them to return to cleared locations, adding that buyers also have a responsibility to help address the problem.

The LAWMA managing director urged residents to patronise recognised markets and businesses operating in approved locations rather than buying goods from traders occupying public spaces.

He also appealed to residents and businesses to make use of approved waste collection channels and dispose of their waste properly.

Gbadegesin said personal convenience should not come at the expense of public health, environmental sanitation, road safety and the orderly use of shared public spaces
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He further disclosed that LAWMA was strengthening waste collection services in inner streets and communities surrounding areas previously cleared of illegal dumping.

He said identified gaps in waste collection would be addressed to ensure residents have better access to proper waste disposal services.

However, he warned that deliberate dumping, re-dumping and continued patronage of illegal markets would attract enforcement action.

Gbadegesin reaffirmed LAWMA’s commitment to sustained enforcement, stakeholder engagement and improved waste management services across Lagos.

He said the authority would continue working towards eliminating open dumping, protecting public infrastructure and promoting a cleaner, safer and healthier environment for residents across the state.

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