Ladipo market, a spare parts market, where automobile parts are sold, has once again been shut by the Lagos state government over environmental violations. Ladipo Market is located along the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Road (Apapa–Oshodi Expressway). It is a market highly dominated by traders from the eastern part of the country. The state government said it was closing the market due to repeated environmental violations.
The closure was announced by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, in a post shared on X.
According to him, the action followed persistent violations, including indiscriminate disposal of refuse on road medians and highways, as well as illegal street trading.
“Lagos State government, this morning, sealed Ladipo Spare Parts Market along Murtala Muhammed International Airport Road (Apapa–Oshodi Expressway) over repeated environmental infractions; indiscriminate refuse disposal on the median/highway and illegal street trading,” he said.
Officials said the move underscores the government’s zero-tolerance stance on environmental degradation, improper waste management and activities that obstruct traffic and endanger public safety.
The state government has repeatedly warned traders and residents against street trading and unlawful waste disposal, stressing that enforcement actions would continue against defaulters across the metropolis.
Meanwhile, traders at the market have appealed to the Lagos State Government to reconsider the closure, lamenting that the closure has grounded business activities in the multibillion-naira market.
A trader, Leo Ugochukwu Ogbonna, said the notice of the planned action was short and poorly communicated. “We got information last Thursday that the government could seal part of the market, but this was the first time. The notice was too short and the message was not well passed,” he said.
Ogbonna, who is also the assistant manager of J&F Warehouse, added that traders had waste bins within the market but complained of irregular evacuation by the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA).
“We are not dumping refuse on the road, so our warehouse should not have been locked,” he said.
Another trader, Vincent Nduka, said the government acted rightly but stressed the need for traders to take responsibility. “The service lane is mostly congested by some traders, and the government wants to put things in order. The market will reopen soon, but we need to play our part,” he said.
He blamed the market management for allowing traders to spill onto the road and appealed for more waste bins to be provided to help keep the market clean.
Responding, LAWMA spokesperson Mukaila Sanusi said the agency had provided designated locations for waste disposal and regularly evacuated refuse from the market. He added that traders often violated the arrangement by dumping waste on the expressway median despite repeated warnings.
Sanusi said the continued disregard for environmental regulations prompted the enforcement action taken by the state government.
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