The Lagos government has announced a total ban on street trading and hawking across the state.
The state government also banned erecting illegal structures on drainage systems and displaying wares and other commodities on walkways.
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The commissioner for environment and water resources, Tokunbo Wahab, made the announcement on Friday via social media.
He said the move was part of the state government’s renewed effort to ensure a cleaner, safer, and healthier environment.
According to Wahab, the ban is aimed at curtailing the multiple nefarious activities allegedly perpetrated by hawkers who disguise themselves to rob motorists and street traders who disrupt the free flow of traffic on highways and streets in the state.
The commissioner further noted that he has directed the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps to enforce compliance with the environmental sanitation laws strictly.
Hundreds of thousands of Lagosians sell food and household goods in traffic, providing a valuable service to commuters.
Constant traffic jams and congestion provide a ready market for sellers to hawk their goods to commuters.
The sellers on bridges and expressways are predominantly young men, proffering everything from drinks and sausage rolls to floor mats and bed linen.
Fruit sellers, primarily women, cluster on and beneath pedestrian bridges and around bus stops, wherever the congestion will make selling more profitable.