Lagos Buyers Beware: LAWMA to Arrest Customers Patronising Illegal Roadside Traders

The Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has announced a tougher crackdown on illegal roadside trading, warning that residents who buy from traders operating on roads, medians, walkways, setbacks and other prohibited public spaces will face arrest and prosecution from next week.

The new enforcement approach marks a significant shift from previous operations, as LAWMA says responsibility will extend beyond traders to customers whose patronage helps sustain unauthorised street markets.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, disclosed the decision on Tuesday at the Authority’s headquarters, explaining that it forms part of renewed efforts to tackle illegal trading, indiscriminate waste disposal and the obstruction of public infrastructure across Lagos.

Gbadegesin said the relevant provisions of the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law 2017 do not only target people who display goods for sale in prohibited locations but also cover those who purchase such goods.

He warned that, beginning next week, buyers caught patronising traders on roadsides, road medians, walkways, setbacks and other unauthorised areas would be arrested alongside the traders and prosecuted under the law.

According to the LAWMA chief, anyone convicted of the offence could face a fine of N90,000, six months’ imprisonment, or both, depending on the circumstances and applicable legal provisions.

Gbadegesin linked the persistence of illegal roadside markets to environmental and traffic challenges across the metropolis, noting that trading activities in such locations often generate refuse that ends up in drainage channels, on roads and in other public spaces.

He said the resulting waste contributes to blocked drains, worsening traffic conditions and heightened public-health risks, while the occupation of public infrastructure also undermines the orderly use of the city’s shared spaces.

The LAWMA boss explained that the Authority’s strategy would combine enforcement with improved waste-management services, particularly in inner streets and communities surrounding areas previously identified as dumping hotspots.

He said service gaps were being addressed, but warned that deliberate dumping, the re-emergence of cleared refuse sites and patronage of illegal markets would attract enforcement action.

Gbadegesin urged residents and businesses to patronise recognised markets and make use of approved waste-collection channels, stressing that individual convenience should not compromise environmental sanitation, public health, road safety or the proper use of public infrastructure.

He reaffirmed LAWMA’s commitment to sustained enforcement, engagement with stakeholders and improvements in waste-collection services as the Authority intensifies its campaign against open dumping and works towards a cleaner and more orderly Lagos.

The statement was signed by Mukaila Sanusi, Director of Public Affairs, LAWMA, and dated September 8, 2026.