The Lagos State Government has begun the removal of illegal structures and unauthorised occupants along the Lagos–Okokomaiko–Badagry Expressway, as part of efforts to safeguard the corridor designated for the Lagos Rail Mass Transit project.
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed this after inspecting the ongoing enforcement exercise alongside senior government officials and environmental agencies.
According to Wahab, the operation is being carried out by operatives of the Lagos State Environmental Taskforce, the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), and other relevant agencies.
He explained that the exercise was necessary to protect the expansive road median, which was intentionally reserved by the state government for the Lagos Rail Mass Transit project.
Describing the Lagos–Okokomaiko–Badagry corridor as a strategic gateway linking Nigeria with other West African countries, Wahab said the continued occupation of the area by illegal traders and other unauthorised persons undermines critical public infrastructure funded by taxpayers.
"The Lagos–Okokomaiko–Badagry corridor is of significant economic and strategic importance and serves as one of the major gateways into Nigeria. It is therefore unacceptable for such vital public infrastructure to be occupied by illegal traders and other unauthorised occupants," he said.
The commissioner assured residents that the state government would sustain regular monitoring and enforcement activities along the corridor to prevent further encroachment.
He announced that a permanent patrol team would be deployed to ensure that illegal occupants do not return and to preserve the integrity and intended purpose of the infrastructure.
The inspection was attended by the Special Adviser on Environment, Mr. Kunle Akodu; Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services, Mr. Mahmoud Adegbite; Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Mr. Gaji Tajudeen; Chairman of the Lagos State Taskforce, Mr. Adebayo Akerele; Managing Director of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin; and other senior officials of the ministry.
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