Lagos govt declares total ban on street trading, hawking

The Lagos State Government has announced a total ban on street trading, hawking, building of illegal structures on drainage setbacks and the display of wares on walkways across the state.

The state Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, made the announcement in a statement in Lagos on Friday.

Wahab said that the State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) has been directed to strictly enforce compliance with the environmental Sanitation laws.

According to him, the latest offensive is meant to curtail the nefarious activities of hawkers who disguise to rob motorists and also disrupt the free flow of traffic on highways and streets.

In a related development, the commissioner effected the sealing up of Ladipo Market in Mushin in the early hours of Friday following several environmental offences, including reckless waste disposal, unhygienic premises and non-payment of waste bills, amongst others.