Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has directed the removal of all shanties, makeshift buildings and other unauthorized structures erected on the median of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, giving occupants a 72-hour deadline to vacate before a large-scale enforcement operation begins.
The governor announced the directive on Saturday after participating in the state’s monthly environmental sanitation exercise in Surulere Local Government Area alongside the First Lady of Lagos State, Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu.
Speaking with journalists after the sanitation exercise, Sanwo-Olu said the demolition exercise would commence next week, covering the stretch of the expressway from Orile-Iganmu to Okokomaiko.
He described the notice as the final warning to individuals and businesses occupying the highway median, stressing that every illegal structure within the corridor would be removed.
According to the governor, the median was never designated for trading, residential use or any form of informal development. He said allowing such activities to continue would undermine the purpose of the road infrastructure and the government’s investment in the project.
Sanwo-Olu explained that the Lagos-Badagry Expressway is a major transport corridor and one of the key entry routes into Lagos, making it necessary to preserve the environment and ensure the road remains free from illegal occupation.
He added that the state government would deploy a large enforcement team to clear the affected areas, insisting that public infrastructure funded with taxpayers’ money must be protected from encroachment.
The governor also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to maintaining a clean and orderly environment across Lagos, saying the operation forms part of broader efforts to safeguard critical infrastructure and improve the state’s urban landscape.
