Lagos reopens Alaba Rago Market after sanitation compliance

The Lagos State Government has reopened Alaba Rago Market in Ojo, following its closure last week for various environmental infractions.

The market was reopened after meeting set sanitation compliance conditions, Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said in a statement on Monday.

Wahab said the state government has reopened Alaba Rago Market after it was sealed for gross environmental infractions and negligence.

The commissioner appealed to other markets to take the issue of cleanliness seriously and make the state cleaner and livable for all.

He also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to enforcing environmental standards across the state, emphasising that the reopening of Alaba Rago Market should serve as a clarion call to all market stakeholders to place premium value on cleanliness and sanitation.

The Managing Director/CEO of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Muyiwa Gbadegesin, noted the importance of collaborative efforts between market authorities, traders, and relevant government agencies in maintaining a clean and healthy market environment.

Gbadegesin said that the reopening of the market should not be misconstrued as leniency towards environmental infractions, as the zero-tolerance policy of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration is still in effect, adding that markets play an important role in achieving environmental sustainability across the state.