Ikorodu West Cracks Down on Roadside Waste, Seals Shops After Failed Compliance Talks

The Chairman of the Ikorodu West Local Council Development Area of Lagos State, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, on Wednesday ordered the temporary closure of several shops for 20 days after repeated violations of waste disposal regulations, citing public health risks and persistent disregard for environmental laws.

The enforcement action affected business premises along the NBC Road corridor, Ebute Police Post Junction and parts of Ipakodo, following an environmental sanitation exercise led by the council chairman, during which refuse dumped on road medians and public roads were cleared.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the decision marked a shift from advocacy to enforcement after sustained sensitisation efforts failed to yield compliance. Olanrewaju said the indiscriminate dumping of refuse posed serious environmental and health threats to residents.

“I met with the shop owners daily for one week, passionately pleading for compliance to prevent disease outbreaks and environmental pollution.

“This decisive action follows a repeated, flagrant and unacceptable defiance of environmental laws by some business operators despite my multiple interventions and personal appeals,” he said.

The chairman emphasised that the closures were not punitive for their own sake but aimed at protecting the wider community and restoring environmental order in the area. He warned that similar measures would be applied wherever violations continue.

“We will not plead endlessly while public health is jeopardised,” Olanrewaju added.

He noted that the council had stepped up efforts to tackle waste management challenges, urging residents and traders to adopt proper disposal methods through approved channels.

“Utilise the assigned Lagos State Waste Management Authority private sector participation operators.

“Together, let us build a cleaner, healthier and more prosperous Ikorodu West,” the chairman said.