The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has warned residents against buying goods from traders operating illegally on roads, medians, walkways, setbacks and other unauthorised public spaces across the state.
The authority said enforcement against buyers and illegal traders would commence next week as part of a renewed effort to curb street trading, indiscriminate waste disposal and obstruction of public infrastructure.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, disclosed this at the authority’s headquarters in Lagos on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.
According to him, enforcement will no longer target only traders, as people who patronise them will also be held accountable under Section 151(2) of the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law, 2017.
Gbadegesin said anyone found buying goods from traders operating on roadsides, medians, walkways, setbacks or other prohibited locations would be arrested alongside the traders and prosecuted.
He added that anyone convicted could face a fine of ₦90,000, imprisonment for six months, or both.
The LAWMA boss explained that illegal roadside and median trading often results in waste being dumped in drainage channels, on roads and other public spaces, contributing to blocked drains, traffic congestion and public health risks.
He said the measure was intended to break the cycle whereby illegal traders return to cleared locations because of continued patronage from buyers.
Gbadegesin urged residents and businesses to patronise recognised markets and use approved waste collection channels, stressing that convenience should not come at the expense of environmental sanitation, road safety and public health.
LAWMA also said it was strengthening waste collection in inner streets and communities around areas previously cleared of illegal dumping, while deliberate dumping, re-dumping and patronage of illegal markets would continue to attract enforcement.
