For traders at the Mushin market, yesterday morning began with an unpleasant surprise.

Instead of opening their stalls and settling into the day’s business, many arrived to find the market barricaded with caution tape, following the decision by the Mushin Local Council to seal the facility over persistent environmental infractions.

The closure left some traders frustrated, particularly as the market remains a major hub of commercial activity in the area.
 
The council, however, said the action followed repeated warnings and engagements with traders over indiscriminate dumping and poor refuse management, which it said had continued despite several interventions.
 
The development has again brought to the fore the perennial waste management challenge confronting markets across Lagos, where refuse is often seen piling up along roadsides, around stalls and inside drainage channels.
 
While authorities frequently blame traders and residents for indiscriminate dumping, poor collection by some Private Sector Participant (PSP) operators and the reluctance of some residents and traders to pay for waste disposal services have also been identified as contributing factors.
 
Speaking on the closure, the Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of Mushin Local Council, Mustapha Ademola, said the council had exhausted several avenues of engagement before resorting to sealing the market.

“Yes, we closed the market. It’s an insult that people talk about Mushin negatively across the state because of the dirt. Many of the traders bring refuse from their homes to drop on Mushin Road,” he said.
 
Ademola said the problem was difficult to tackle because areas cleared of refuse were often littered again almost immediately.
 
“I’m sure if we clear the dirt today, everywhere will be littered the next day. They should go to the office of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and dump there and not Mushin Local Government. LAWMA is under the state and not the council,” he said.
 
He said the council had held a series of meetings with traders and repeatedly appealed to them to comply with environmental regulations, but the appeals had yielded little result.

According to him, the extent of the problem becomes obvious from the type of waste left around the market after trading activities.

“We have held a series of meetings and all our efforts failed. If you can observe the littering, you will see sticks of vegetables, jute; someone making roasted plantain left the plantain stick and peel,” he said.
 
He also accused some traders of occupying walkways without paying for the space while failing to clean up after closing for the day.

“Such a person will cry foul if the government decides to arrest her. People use the walkway without paying a dime and still leave the place dirty at the close of work,” he added.

Ademola said repeated pleas from traders had not translated into sustained compliance.

“They will always beg but return to do the same thing. The state government has advised that we should take proactive measures on the traders so that everywhere will be neat,” he said.

He also clarified that the local council engages PSP operators for waste evacuation but said its capacity remained limited.

“I want everyone to know that the Local Government engages PSP to clear dirt, but our capacity is limited; it’s the job of the state agency to pick up dirt,” he said.

The council said the market would remain closed until traders demonstrate a willingness to comply with environmental regulations and maintain the premises.

Ademola said the council wanted to change the negative perception of Mushin associated with dirt and environmental violations.

“We want a new name for Mushin and not dirt or vices. We will unseal the market if the people obey the law and keep the environment clean,” he said.