The Ogun State Government has cautioned market leaders and traders against indiscriminate waste disposal, warning that any commercial facility found dumping refuse within its premises risks closure. This development follows a surge in refuse accumulation and instances of open defecation along major sections of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway within the borders of the state. A monitoring exercise conducted along the Mowe, Ibafo, and Magboro sections of the highway on Sunday revealed that road medians and various roadsides have been converted into unauthorized dumping grounds. Decomposing waste was spotted at multiple intervals on the Mowe median, alongside visible signs of human waste that point to ongoing open defecation challenges in the vicinity.
Identical conditions were recorded across the Ibafo and Magboro areas of the transport corridor, with another illegal refuse dump identified by the roadside near Lotto Bus Stop. Expressing disappointment over the situation, a local resident, Kunle Olalekan, attributed the environmental challenge to a regulatory lapse by the state administration in managing waste disposal. He noted that the authorities had failed to adequately supervise the operations of traders along the highway, allowing the environmental conditions to degenerate over time. Olalekan said, “The Ogun State Government is to be blamed for this eyesore. When you pass through the Lagos section of this expressway, you won’t see anything like this, but here in Ogun, everywhere is littered with waste.” He added, “The government has failed in its oversight responsibility of ensuring that illegal dumping of refuse is curbed.”
Another resident within the corridor, Ugo Chukwu, emphasized the need for the state authorities to widen their enforcement scope to encompass traders and markets operating adjacent to the highway. He noted that commercial operators remain heavily responsible for the waste crisis. Chukwu stated, “We cannot shy away from the fact that most of the refuse is being dumped by traders in markets located along the expressway.” He explained, “At Mowe, you will see heaps of corn husks dumped on the median, yet the traders selling the commodity are located just a short distance away.” He noted, “We keep wondering how the refuse gets there. The government must extend its enforcement to these markets,”
In response to the growing environmental concerns, the state government on Sunday restated that it will shut down any market found violating waste disposal protocols within its vicinity. According to an official statement, the Special Adviser to the Governor and Managing Director of the Ogun State Waste Management Authority, Farouk Akintunde, gave the warning following the successful evacuation of accumulated waste piles at the Farmers’ Market on Solu Road in Ifo, as well as the Mamu Market situated across Ifo and Ijebu North Local Government Areas.
Akintunde explained that the habit of letting refuse pile up inside commercial zones rather than utilizing official collection centers for licensed evacuation threatens the safety of the public and the surrounding ecosystem. He detailed the potential health hazards, stating, “These heaps of waste expose food items sold in these markets to avoidable contamination, which could lead to food poisoning and other health challenges, thereby exposing residents of the state to preventable diseases.” He noted, “Markets should operate in a clean environment with proper waste management and not become havens for illegal waste dumps because they are public places where we all buy what we consume.” He further emphasized, “Exposing what we consume to waste is not acceptable and will not be tolerated under any guise whatsoever. The state government will, therefore, not fold its arms and allow a few market leaders and traders to expose our food items to avoidable health hazards because of their careless attitude towards waste evacuation from their markets,” He warned the leadership of the affected markets to implement strict sanitation measures and guide their members to sustain cleanliness, adding that any recurrence of illegal dumping will result in the total closure of the affected facilities to protect the public interest.
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