Bulldozers move in as Sanwo-Olu declares war on illegal highway markets, shanties

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

The Lagos State Government has commenced the removal of illegal shanties, makeshift shops and market stalls erected along the median of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway as part of efforts to safeguard public infrastructure and accelerate the ongoing reconstruction of the highway.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced the exercise on Saturday, saying the government would not allow the median of one of the state’s major transport corridors to be converted into markets, residential settlements or sites for illegal structures.

The governor said the clearance operation aligns with the state’s plan to transform the Lagos-Badagry Expressway into a modern 10-lane highway capable of supporting increased traffic and improving transportation across the metropolis.

“We have begun clearing the illegal shanties and market stalls built along the median of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway,” Sanwo-Olu 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.”

Describing the development as both illegal and dangerous, the governor stressed that trading or living on the median of a major highway poses significant risks to lives and property.

“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,” Sanwo-Olu said.

Sanwo-Olu also urged residents to embrace greater civic responsibility, arguing that Lagos could only attain the standards of leading global cities if citizens respected public infrastructure and complied with environmental and urban planning regulations.

According to him, indiscriminate waste disposal and the proliferation of illegal structures undermine the state’s drive to create a cleaner, safer and more organised environment.

“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,” the governor stated.

He added that building a world-class city requires discipline, respect for public assets and a collective commitment to lawful conduct.

“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,” he said.

The demolition exercise forms part of the state government’s broader urban renewal and environmental enforcement programme aimed at improving road safety, restoring order and protecting critical infrastructure across Lagos.