Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has issued a 72-hour ultimatum to occupants of shanties, makeshift structures and illegal trading points along the median of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, warning that a massive demolition exercise will commence next week.
The governor announced the directive on Saturday after leading the monthly environmental sanitation exercise alongside his wife, Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, across communities in Surulere Local Government Area.
Speaking with journalists after the exercise, Sanwo-Olu said the state government would deploy enforcement teams to clear all illegal structures along the corridor, stretching from Orile-Iganmu to Okokomaiko.
“This is the final notice to everyone occupying the median of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway. From next week, we are coming to clear the entire median. Everything there will go. Every illegal structure will be removed,” the governor said.
He stressed that the highway median was not designated for markets or residential structures, noting that the government would protect the corridor considering the huge public investment committed to the road project.
“It is a 10-lane highway built with taxpayers’ money. We will not allow anyone to turn an international gateway into a slum. We are deploying thousands of personnel to ensure compliance,” he added.
Sanwo-Olu also highlighted ongoing efforts to improve waste management across the state, disclosing that the government would soon add 150 compactors to its waste collection fleet while deploying waste tricycles to underserved communities.
According to him, the state is investing in long-term waste management infrastructure, including a modern material recovery and recycling facility expected to process about 4,250 metric tonnes of waste daily.
The governor urged residents to support government initiatives by disposing of waste responsibly and paying waste collection bills promptly.
“Waste management is not the responsibility of government alone. Residents must also play their part by paying for waste collection services to enable operators provide efficient services,” he said.
He further encouraged parents to involve their children in environmental sanitation activities, describing cleanliness as essential to building a healthier and more sustainable Lagos.
Meanwhile, during an inspection of the Olusosun Landfill, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said the state was transitioning from the traditional “collect-and-dump” waste disposal model to a circular system that converts waste into valuable resources.
Wahab explained that the planned material recovery facility in Ikorodu would receive waste from transfer loading stations and process thousands of tonnes daily into reusable products and energy.
“We can no longer sustain the waste management system we have practised for decades. Waste must become a resource for wealth creation, energy generation and environmental sustainability,” he said.
