Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, says Lagos cannot measure up to leading global cities unless residents learn to respect public infrastructure and obey the law.
The governor spoke on Saturday while announcing the commencement of the demolition of illegal shanties and market stalls on the median of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
“No Market on a Highway Median”
According to Sanwo-Olu, the ongoing reconstruction of the expressway into a modern 10-lane highway cannot accommodate illegal markets, settlements and makeshift structures on its median.
“We have begun clearing the illegal shanties and market stalls built along the median of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway,” he said.
“As we rebuild the Lagos-Badagry Expressway into a modern 10-lane highway, we cannot allow its median to become a market, a settlement or a site for illegal structures.
“There is absolutely no reason for anyone to trade, build makeshift shops or live on the median of a major highway. It is unsafe, illegal and unacceptable.”
He noted that the enforcement covers the stretch from Orile-Iganmu to Okokomaiko and forms part of efforts to reclaim public spaces and protect critical infrastructure.
“Discipline is What Makes Cities Work”
The governor said many Lagosians often compare the state to top cities abroad, but fail to emulate the civic attitude that makes those cities work.
“We often compare Lagos with some of the world’s leading cities and ask why we cannot be like them. The truth is that those cities work because people respect public infrastructure and obey the rules,” he stated.
“We cannot expect a world-class city while refusing to show the discipline needed to keep one.
“Dumping waste indiscriminately or building illegal structures along our highways will not move us forward.
“If we want a cleaner, safer and more organised Lagos, discipline and personal responsibility must become part of our everyday culture. That is how we build a city we can all be proud of.”
More Waste Equipment Coming
Sanwo-Olu added that the Lagos-Badagry Expressway is part of the Trans-West African Coastal Highway and was built with taxpayers’ money, stressing that it must not be turned into a slum.
He also disclosed plans to deploy 150 additional waste compactors and introduce waste collection tricycles in inner communities.
The state, he said, is also investing in a new material recovery and recycling facility that can process about 4,250 metric tonnes of waste daily.
He urged residents to support the reforms by disposing waste properly and paying for collection services promptly.