Mile 12 International and Owode Onirin markets have been shut down by the Lagos State Government for alleged environmental infractions.
This development was conveyed by the Director of Public Affairs, Lagos Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Kunle Adeshina, on Friday.
According to Adeshina, the state Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, directed the Lagos Waste Management Authority and Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps to enforce the closure of the markets.
While speaking on the need to keep the markets in the state clean and hygienic, the commissioner insisted on zero tolerance for filth in all markets.
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He said, “Recent events at Mile 12 and Owode Onirin markets have brought to light the pressing need for strict adherence to sanitation standards in our markets. The closure, though a difficult decision, is a necessary step to address the prevailing environmental challenges and to ensure the safety and well-being of all stakeholders.
“The closure of Mile 12 and Owode Onirin markets will enable the stakeholders to assess the situation and improve public health and environmental sanity around those axes. Conditions in the markets have deteriorated to a point where immediate intervention became inevitable”.
The commissioner stressed that the enforcement action was not an isolated event, but part of a broader strategy to instill a culture of cleanliness and compliance with environmental regulations across the board for markets within the state.
He urged traders and customers to prioritise hygiene and sustainable practices in their daily business activities.
On his part, the Managing Director/CEO of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, noted that the markets were closed for very severe unhygienic conditions and a litany of environmental infractions, adding that the closure was necessary, to protect the health of the public and to ensure it was properly cleaned up and sanitised.