Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has directed residents occupying shanties and makeshift structures along the median of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway to vacate the area within 72 hours.
The governor announced the directive on Saturday after leading the state’s monthly environmental sanitation exercise across communities in Surulere Local Government Area.
Accompanied by his wife, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, the governor said the sanitation exercise was part of the government’s renewed commitment to promoting a cleaner environment and encouraging proper waste disposal across Lagos.
Addressing journalists after the exercise, Sanwo-Olu revealed that enforcement teams would begin clearing all illegal structures on the expressway median from next week.
According to him, the operation will cover the stretch from Orile-Iganmu to Okokomaiko, insisting that the government will not allow the major transport corridor, which serves as an international gateway, to deteriorate into a slum.
Describing the notice as final, the governor warned that all unauthorized structures on the highway median would be demolished.
He stressed that the median was never intended for commercial activities or residential structures, adding that the 10-lane expressway was built with public funds and must be protected.
Sanwo-Olu also announced plans to strengthen the state’s waste management system by adding 150 new compactors to the existing fleet. He added that waste collection tricycles would be deployed to inner communities where larger trucks face accessibility challenges.
The governor further disclosed that Lagos was investing in modern waste processing infrastructure, including a material recovery and recycling facility capable of handling approximately 4,250 metric tonnes of waste daily.
He urged residents to complement government efforts by disposing of refuse responsibly and paying their waste collection bills promptly, noting that effective waste management requires the cooperation of both government and citizens.
Sanwo-Olu also encouraged parents to instill environmental cleanliness and sanitation habits in their children from an early age, saying such values are essential to building a healthier and more sustainable Lagos.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said the state had begun transitioning from its long-standing “collect and dump” waste disposal model to a more sustainable waste management system.
Speaking during an inspection of the Olusosun Landfill after the sanitation exercise, Wahab explained that the site would serve as a transfer loading station, moving about 2,500 metric tonnes of waste daily to a new material recovery facility under construction in Ikorodu.
He expressed optimism that the facility would become operational before the end of the year.
The commissioner maintained that Lagos could no longer rely on a waste disposal system focused solely on collection and dumping, noting that limited land availability and environmental concerns make the approach unsustainable.
He emphasized that the government’s new strategy is aimed at converting waste into valuable resources capable of generating wealth, energy, and other economic benefits.
Wahab appealed to residents to support the ongoing reforms designed to improve waste management and environmental sustainability across the state.
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