By Odesola JF., PhD
There is something about Lagos that makes you admire the city, even when you are frustrated by it. Lagos is full of life. From the early hours of the morning until late at night, people are moving, businesses are opening, traders are selling, workers are rushing to their offices, and entrepreneurs are looking for opportunities. It is a city that never seems to run out of energy.
Lagos is a place where people come with dreams. Some come to find jobs, others come to start businesses, and many come simply because they believe that, with hard work and determination, they can build a better life for themselves and their families.
That is the beauty of Lagos.
Unfortunately, however, there is another side to this beautiful story. In many parts of the city, disorder has become so common that we are beginning to accept it as normal. Everywhere you turn, there seems to be a market. Roadsides have become shops, walkways have become places to display goods, junctions have become trading points, and spaces meant for public use are increasingly being taken over for private business.
Sometimes, as you drive through Lagos, you cannot help asking yourself: Must a city be this disorganised simply because its people are hardworking and enterprising?
Why must making a living come at the expense of public convenience? Why should pedestrians struggle to find somewhere to walk? Why should motorists contend with traders displaying goods along the roads? Why should drainage channels, road setbacks and public spaces be allowed to serve purposes for which they were never intended?
Surely, we can do better.
Lagos can be commercially vibrant without being dirty, congested and disorganised. We have seen other cities achieve this, and there is no reason Lagos cannot do the same.
When Everywhere Becomes a Market
One of the things that troubles me most about Lagos today is the apparent absence of order in many of its commercial areas.
Drive through some neighbourhoods, and you will see traders displaying their goods almost on the road itself. In some places, people can hardly use the pedestrian walkways because shops and traders have taken them over. At certain junctions, the space meant for motorists to turn or for pedestrians to cross safely has become a trading area.
In some communities, the situation is even more frustrating. People build shops, extend their businesses into public spaces or set up temporary stalls, and before long, what started as a small encroachment becomes an accepted way of doing business.
The result is that the city gradually loses its sense of order.
Imagine an elderly man trying to walk to a nearby bus stop but discovering that the pavement is occupied by traders. Imagine a mother pushing a pram or holding the hand of a small child, forced to step onto a busy road because there is no space left on the walkway. Think of a person with a disability who needs an accessible path but finds that the route is blocked.
These are not abstract problems. They are the everyday experiences of people who live and work in Lagos.
The problem also goes beyond inconvenience. When refuse is dumped carelessly and drainage channels are obstructed, the consequences can become serious, particularly during heavy rainfall. When roads and junctions are crowded with unauthorised activities, traffic becomes more difficult to manage. When public spaces are neglected, the entire neighbourhood begins to suffer.
We must be careful not to blame every trader for the condition of Lagos. Many of these men and women are simply trying to survive. They have families to feed, school fees to pay and responsibilities to meet. Their determination deserves our respect.
But respect for hardworking people should not mean accepting disorder.
A person has the right to earn a living, but others also have the right to walk safely, drive without unnecessary obstruction and live in a clean environment. The responsibility of government is to protect these interests and find a fair balance.
Where Are Our Laws, and Why Are They Not Working?
This brings us to a question that many Lagosians have been asking for years: Do we have laws regulating these activities, and if we do, why are they not being enforced consistently?
Lagos has environmental agencies, planning authorities, traffic officials and other institutions responsible for maintaining public order. There have been campaigns against street trading, illegal dumping, indiscriminate waste disposal and the unauthorised occupation of public spaces.
Yet, in many areas, the same problems persist.
Sometimes, an enforcement team arrives, clears a particular location and moves on. Residents may feel encouraged for a day or two. But before long, the traders return, the walkways become blocked again, and everything goes back to the way it was.
What, then, has been achieved?
The real test of enforcement is not how many people are arrested or how many stalls are removed in a single operation. It is whether the improvement lasts.
If a road is cleared today and becomes a market again tomorrow, government must ask itself what went wrong. If a drainage channel is cleared repeatedly but continues to attract refuse, there is a need to examine both public behaviour and the effectiveness of the enforcement system.
Are the relevant authorities doing enough? Are the laws being applied fairly? Are the agencies adequately coordinated? Are some people benefiting from the illegal occupation of public spaces? Are there affordable alternatives for traders who have nowhere else to operate?
These questions must be answered honestly.
It is also important that government does not simply introduce new regulations whenever an old problem persists. Sometimes, the laws already exist. What is missing is the determination to enforce them consistently.
A law that is not enforced eventually loses its power to command respect.
People begin to assume that the rules do not matter. Those who obey them may even feel foolish when they watch others disregard them without consequences. Over time, indiscipline becomes normal, and restoring order becomes increasingly difficult.
This is why enforcement must be steady, fair and free from favouritism. Nobody should be allowed to occupy public space unlawfully simply because they are influential, wealthy or politically connected.
If It Was Possible Under Military Rule, Why Not Under Democracy?
This is a question worth asking, even if some people may find it uncomfortable.
Many Lagosians remember periods under military administration when government campaigns against environmental indiscipline and unauthorised occupation of public spaces appeared more forceful. Whatever our reservations about military rule, one lesson stands out: when government makes public order a priority, it can achieve results.
Why, then, should a democratic government find it impossible to maintain a clean and orderly city?
Democracy should not be an excuse for indiscipline. On the contrary, democratic government should be able to achieve more enduring results because it has the opportunity to educate citizens, consult communities, improve public services and enforce laws within a framework of accountability and respect for human rights.
Of course, we should not wish for a return to military rule. The lesson is not that force is better than democracy. Rather, the lesson is that government must demonstrate the will to do what is right.
A democratic government can be firm without being harsh. It can enforce the law without humiliating people. It can protect public spaces while providing reasonable alternatives for those whose livelihoods may be affected.
Where relocation is necessary, traders should receive clear information and adequate notice wherever circumstances permit. Where affordable markets are lacking, government should address that problem. But once the rules have been properly communicated and reasonable alternatives provided, the law should be enforced.
Democracy does not mean that everyone is free to do whatever they please. It means that everyone has rights, everyone has responsibilities, and everyone is subject to the law.
What Lagos Can Learn from Other Cities
Lagos is not the first major city to struggle with congestion, informal trading and environmental challenges. Other cities have faced similar problems and have developed practical ways of addressing them.
We do not need to copy every aspect of their systems. We simply need to learn from what works.
Singapore: Cleanliness Requires Discipline
Singapore clean modern city street pedestrian walkway, Singapore clean organised hawker centre food stalls. Singapore offers a useful example of how public cleanliness can become part of everyday life. Its approach combines public education, regular cleaning and enforcement of environmental regulations. Its organised hawker centres also show that food vendors and small businesses can thrive in designated facilities rather than occupying every available pavement.
The important lesson is that a clean city does not happen by accident. It requires government to provide the necessary services and citizens to accept responsibility for their surroundings.
Lagos can do the same. We can have organised markets where traders make a living, clean walkways where people can move freely, and streets that are not overwhelmed by unauthorised commercial activities.
Kigali: An African City Showing What Is Possible
Though not everything done in Rwanda I do agree with but in term of decency and cleanliness we should give kudo to that Nation. Kigali Rwanda clean city road green surroundings, Kigali Rwanda organised public market stalls. We do not have to look only towards Europe, America or Asia for inspiration. Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, has become a familiar African example in conversations about urban cleanliness and organisation.
The city has placed emphasis on sanitation, waste management, environmental management and the organisation of public spaces. Its experience demonstrates that African cities can make meaningful progress when public authorities and communities work towards shared standards.
Lagos is much larger and has different economic and social challenges. Nevertheless, the basic principles remain relevant: plan properly, provide facilities, educate residents and enforce regulations consistently.
We should never assume that disorder is an unavoidable part of African urban life.
Tokyo: A City That Makes Room for People
Tokyo Japan clean pedestrian shopping street, Tokyo Japan orderly commercial street sidewalks. Tokyo offers another useful lesson. Despite its enormous population and busy commercial districts, the city demonstrates the importance of organising urban spaces so that people can move around safely and businesses can function.
The streets are not merely places for trading or moving vehicles. They are public spaces that serve pedestrians, residents, business owners and visitors.
This is the kind of thinking Lagos needs. A road should not become a market simply because traders discover that people pass through it. A walkway should not disappear because someone wants to display more goods. Public spaces must be designed and managed for the benefit of everyone.
These examples show that a city can be busy without being chaotic. What matters is how well it plans, manages and maintains its public spaces.
LAWMA’s Recent Arrests: A Step in the Right Direction
The recent action by the Lagos Waste Management Authority is therefore worth acknowledging.
According to reports dated 14 October 2026, LAWMA arrested 13 people over alleged unauthorised street trading in Festac, Mile 2 and Ikorodu during enforcement operations conducted on 12 and 13 October.
The authority’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, explained that the operations were intended to restore order and keep roads, walkways, road medians, setbacks and other public spaces accessible. He also urged traders to operate in designated and approved markets.
This is a welcome step. It shows that the authorities recognise the problem and are taking action.
However, we must look beyond the arrests.
What happens after the enforcement team leaves? Will those locations remain free of unauthorised trading? Will other agencies help maintain the improvements? Will the traders have access to suitable places to continue their businesses?
These are the questions that matter.
The arrest of 13 people cannot, on its own, resolve a problem affecting a city as large as Lagos. The operation must be part of a wider and sustained programme that includes monitoring, public education, market development and consistent enforcement.
If traders return to the same places a few days later, the authorities will need to understand why. If there are affordable markets nearby, the rules should be enforced. If the available markets are too expensive, too distant or poorly maintained, those challenges should also be addressed.
There may also be cases where unauthorised payments or other improper arrangements allow illegal trading to continue. Such matters deserve investigation wherever credible evidence exists.
We must not allow enforcement to become an occasional exercise that generates headlines but produces little lasting change.
The people of Lagos deserve better than that.
Five Things the Government Must Do
First, enforce existing laws consistently. Government should not wait until a problem becomes embarrassing before acting. Where street trading is prohibited, the prohibition should be enforced fairly and continuously. No individual, business or interest group should be above the law.
Second, provide decent and affordable markets. Traders are part of the Lagos economy, and their livelihoods matter. Government should improve existing markets and create suitable trading spaces where necessary. These facilities must be accessible, secure, hygienic and reasonably priced.
Third, reclaim our walkways and drainage channels. Pedestrians should not have to walk into traffic because traders have occupied the pavement. Drainage channels should not be used as extensions of shops or dumping grounds. Public infrastructure must be protected for the purpose for which it was built.
Fourth, make enforcement sustainable. Every location cleared should be monitored. Relevant agencies should work together, and residents should have a straightforward way to report recurring violations. Government should also publish meaningful updates showing whether its interventions are producing lasting results.
Fifth, change our attitude towards public spaces. Government cannot do everything alone. Traders, shop owners, landlords, transport operators and residents all have a part to play. We must stop treating public property as though it belongs to nobody. Public spaces belong to all of us, and we must protect them accordingly.
A Cleaner Lagos Is Also a Stronger Economy
Some people may argue that street trading is a necessary means of survival for thousands of Lagosians. They are right to raise the concern. Many traders are hardworking people who have no other reliable source of income.
But the choice should not be between allowing disorder to continue and taking away people’s livelihoods.
There is a better way.
A well-organised market can provide traders with a more dependable place to do business. Clear walkways can make shopping areas safer and more attractive. Better waste collection and drainage can reduce environmental problems. Less obstruction can improve movement for residents, workers and customers.
Disorder also costs money. People lose productive hours in traffic. Businesses struggle when access becomes difficult. Flooding can damage homes, shops and roads. Poorly maintained public spaces can discourage investment and reduce the quality of life.
A cleaner, better-organised Lagos would benefit traders, residents, visitors and businesses alike.
We should therefore see environmental order not as a luxury but as part of the foundation of a productive and prosperous city.
Lagos Deserves Better
Lagos has the people, the talent, the commercial energy and the resources to become a cleaner and better-organised city. What is required is a stronger commitment to proper planning, effective enforcement and the protection of the common good.
The government must do its part. Traders must respect the rules. Residents must take responsibility for their environment. Public officials must act with integrity, and enforcement must be applied without fear or favour.
Most importantly, the government must be consistent. A city cannot become orderly through occasional announcements, sporadic arrests or temporary clean-up exercises. It requires a sustained effort that continues long after the initial publicity has ended.
I believe Lagos can do better. I believe we can have a city where traders prosper without blocking roads, where children and elderly people can walk safely, where drainage channels remain clear, and where visitors are impressed by the orderliness and cleanliness of our environment.
If other cities have made progress, why should Lagos accept disorder as its permanent condition?
If public order could be pursued under military administration, why should it be beyond the reach of a democratic government?
We must stop making excuses for what can be corrected through determination, planning and responsible leadership.
Lagos is too important to Nigeria, and its people deserve too much, for us to accept the present situation as normal.
The challenge before us is not simply to make Lagos look clean for a day. It is to build a city that remains clean, organised and liveable every day.
The laws must work. The public spaces must be protected. The markets must be organised. And the government must show the political will to sustain the change.
A better Lagos is possible. Let us make it happen.
