The Lagos State Government has reopened the Alaba International Market and part of the Ojo Fairgrounds market.
These markets had been closed last week due to improper waste management and other environmental violations.
Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said the markets reopened after the environmental issues were resolved. Commissioner Wahab dismissed some claims that there were political motivations behind the market closures, stressing that the measures were taken to ensure a clean and healthy environment around business establishments.
He said, “I state emphatically that the closure of these markets was done to ensure cleanliness and environmental sustainability for all residents and was not ethnically or politically motivated. The decision to reopen the markets followed a rigorous assessment and implementation of strict environmental standards. These standards were set to ensure that businesses in the state would operate in a manner that would not harm the environment and the well-being of residents,” Wahab said.
Wahab reiterated the importance of maintaining harmony between commerce and environmental health. He said enforcement will be ongoing as the government will not hesitate to blockade any market or business facility.
Commenting on the reopening of the market, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, Managing Director of the Lagos Waste Management Authority, said that they are working with market stakeholders to ensure that environmental standards are met. He stated that they are working with market participants to ensure that environmental standards are met. He stated that it is important that the markets are operated in an economically viable and environmentally sound manner.
He stated, “Each market in the state has standards that must be adhered to in order to make it a clean and healthy business environment for buyers and sellers. These include proper waste management and not allowing the open burning of waste or dumping of waste into the drainage system. Others include hiring a market policeman to monitor the sanitary conditions of the market, and maintaining road setbacks, medians, and distances from the market perimeter to avoid indiscriminate dumping. They must also eradicate roadside trading and trading on road medians and shoulders, which interfere with free traffic. Violations of the regulations are subject to penalties, and violating markets may be closed.
