LAWMA tasks traders on proper waste disposal

The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) on Thursday urged traders to take responsibility for the wastes generated in the market.

This is contained in a statement signed by the Director, Public Affair of LAWMA, Mrs Folashade Kadiri, in Lagos.

It was reported that LAWMA gave the charge during a sensitisation workshop organised for traders at its headquatres, Ijora, Lagos State.

The theme of the workshop is: “Hygienic Environment, Responsibility of All.”

In his opening remarks, the Managing Director of LAWMA, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, noted that maintaining a clean and hygienic environment was a primary responsibility of the various markets.

“A hygienic environment offers numerous benefits, primarily by reducing the risk of illness and infection, while also improving overall health and well-being.

“This includes a cleaner physical space, reduced stress and anxiety, and enhanced productivity. This gives us protection from water-borne diseases, other infections, and pollution.

“Therefore, all hands must be on deck to achieve a sustainable and healthy environment.” It starts from our homes. We are a reflection of what we do in our various homes.

“I will enjoin you to pay attention to the message of today’s workshop and apply it, both in your homes and your business places. Maintaining hygiene in a market place is very important.

“If a market is unhygienic, both the buyer and seller are at health risk. Let us all take proper responsibility of our environment,” Gbadegesin said.

He noted that the sensitisation workshop was premised on the Themes Plus agenda.

He stressed that failure to maintain proper hygiene in market places would have attendant negative consequences on public health and the environment

According to him, a market is a place where so many people visit on a daily basis, making it a veritable place for transmitting diseases if proper sanitation is not carried out.

“A market should always be in a clean state. Therefore, it is important for market users to take waste management in the markets seriously, to avoid epidemics in the society,” Gbadegesin said.

He said that proper waste containerisation should be prioritised, through bagging and separation of wastes.

He observed that commingling of waste was unhygienic and improper.

“Waste emanating from the markets are of different types. There are food waste, animal waste, agricultural waste, recyclables and so on.

“All this waste should be properly bagged to avoid littering. We have held a series of meetings with leadership of markets on patronage of only LAWMA assigned PSP operators. It is illegal to patronise cart pushers,” Gbadegesin said.

He said LAWMA personnel had been assigned to all markets across the state, to ensure prompt payment for waste services.

He added that it was important for markets to get bin keepers, to monitor and arrest illegal waste carriers who pollute the market environment.

On the recent closure of some markets for indiscriminate waste disposal, Gbadegesin noted that government did not take delight in shutting down markets, urging the traders to manage waste responsibly to prevent such measures.

He was represented at the event by the Head of Market Waste Services, Mrs Aderonke Apena.

Commenting on the benefit of the workshop, a trader from Folashade Tinubu Ojo Market, Suru Alaba, Mr Lukman Ajadi, commended the authority for organising the sensitisation workshop.

Ajadi said he had learnt a lot about proper waste separation and the benefits of recycling.

Another participant from Alayabiagba Market, Mrs Chioma Kenneth, said the workshop was educative, urging the authority to intensify night surveillance to apprehend suspected touts who engaged in illegal waste dumping in the markets.