Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Lagos Waste Management Authority has launched a major enforcement operation along the Ajah-Lekki corridor, identifying 24 markets, commercial establishments, hotels, churches, and institutional facilities for compliance action over persistent violations of waste management and environmental regulations. The authority has already sealed Issa Imamu Market and removed illegal structures at Eleganza Market, signalling a new phase of zero tolerance for environmental offences in one of Lagos's fastest-growing corridors.
LAWMA Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, announced the enforcement drive in a statement on Sunday, August 30, 2026, through the agency's Director of Public Affairs, Mukaila Sanusi. Gbadegesin said the affected facilities have been previously engaged and monitored to encourage compliance, but continued violations have left the authority with no choice but to enforce the law. "We have continued to engage and monitor facilities to secure compliance, but where establishments continue to default after being given the opportunity to comply, we will take the necessary enforcement measures," he stated.
The 24 facilities identified for enforcement include Kodak Moment, Bayrock Lifestyle, Caelum Nigeria Ltd, Alpha Pharmacy, Amazon Farm, Ramayaa Mall, Simply Africa Place, Aries Safia, Wolly Mall, Delightful Toy Shop, New Creation Church, The Logic Church, Dow Eye Clinic, Time Oak Hotel, L OMP, Furniture House, Fashion Design Factory, De Phantom Hotel, Elizade Motors, Trinity, Living Faith Church, Premium Rentals, Christ Chapel Church, and QMB Mart. Gbadegesin stressed that commercial activities must not compromise proper waste management or residents' right to a clean and orderly environment. He urged businesses, markets, institutions, and residents within the corridor to fulfill their waste management obligations and cooperate with enforcement personnel.
The latest enforcement follows a monitoring and enforcement operation carried out on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, by LAWMA's Project WISE team in collaboration with officials of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (KAI), military personnel, and the Nigeria Police Force. The operation covered the Eleganza and Issa Imamu Market areas of Ajah. At Eleganza, the enforcement team removed illegal structures erected by traders along road corridors and pedestrian walkways, which had impeded the movement of vehicles and pedestrians. The team also sealed Issa Imamu Market over persistent indiscriminate dumping of refuse along the roadside.
Gbadegesin reaffirmed LAWMA's commitment to regular monitoring, stakeholder engagement, and enforcement as part of efforts to strengthen environmental compliance across Lagos State. He warned that consistent compliance was necessary to curb indiscriminate waste disposal, protect public spaces, and sustain a cleaner environment. "Our responsibility is to ensure that commercial activities do not compromise proper waste management or the right of residents to a clean and orderly environment," he said.
However, the enforcement drive has coincided with fresh criticism from civil society groups over alleged irregular waste collection in other parts of Lagos. The Campaign for Democratic Workers' Rights (CDWR) accused the Lagos State Government and LAWMA of failing to adequately address the growing waste problem, alleging that refuse is left uncollected for weeks or months in some communities. The group's National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Chinedu Bosah, cited Harmony Estate and surrounding areas in Aboru, Alimosho Local Council, where a Private Sector Participation (PSP) operator sometimes goes more than 13 weeks without collecting household waste. "The last time Urban Care PSP picked waste in many parts of Aboru community was on May 28, 2026. As a result of this obvious failure, rodents and wild birds have taken over the environment," Bosah alleged.
The enforcement operation along the Ajah-Lekki corridor represents a significant escalation in LAWMA's efforts to tackle environmental violations in Lagos State. As the authority continues to combine engagement with firm enforcement, businesses and residents across the corridor are on notice: failure to comply with waste management regulations will attract consequences. For the people of Ajah and Lekki, the question is whether this crackdown will finally bring an end to the indiscriminate dumping that has blighted their communities, or whether it will be another enforcement exercise that fades once the media attention shifts.
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