For the second time in three years, the Lagos State Government on Sunday shut down the Ladipo Spare Parts Market along the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Road on the Apapa–Oshodi Expressway, citing persistent environmental infractions by traders.
The state government said the decision followed repeated incidents of indiscriminate dumping of refuse on the highway median and adjoining roads, as well as illegal street trading that obstructed traffic and posed serious environmental and safety hazards.
Announcing the closure via a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said, “This morning, the Lagos State government sealed Ladipo Spare Parts Market along Murtala Muhammed International Airport Road (Apapa–Oshodi Expressway) due to repeated environmental infractions, including indiscriminate refuse disposal on the median and highway, as well as illegal street trading. #ZeroToleranceLagos.”
Wahab stressed that the state would no longer tolerate activities that degrade the environment or undermine public order, noting that the action was in line with Lagos State’s zero-tolerance policy against environmental abuse. He warned that markets, businesses, and individuals found flouting environmental laws would continue to face firm sanctions.
The commissioner urged traders and market associations to fully comply with waste management regulations and desist from trading on highways and road medians, warning that such practices endanger lives and damage public infrastructure.
He added that the market would remain sealed until all identified violations are addressed and operators demonstrate full compliance with Lagos State environmental laws. The Ladipo Spare Parts Market had previously been sanctioned for similar offences before it was reopened about three years ago.
