Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said cities often compared with Lagos have become world-class because their residents respect public infrastructure and obey the law.

The governor stated this on Saturday while announcing the commencement of the removal of illegal shanties and market stalls erected on the median of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

According to him, the ongoing reconstruction of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway into a 10-lane highway cannot coexist with illegal markets, settlements and makeshift structures on the road’s median.

“We have begun clearing the illegal shanties and market stalls built along the median of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

“As we rebuild the Lagos-Badagry Expressway into a modern 10-lane highway, we cannot allow its median to become a market, a settlement or a site for illegal structures.

“There is absolutely no reason for anyone to trade, build makeshift shops or live on the median of a major highway. It is unsafe, illegal and unacceptable,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu noted that while many residents frequently compare Lagos with leading cities around the world, such comparisons must also take into account the attitude of citizens towards public assets.

“We often compare Lagos with some of the world’s leading cities and ask why we cannot be like them. The truth is that those cities work because people respect public infrastructure and obey the rules.

“We cannot expect a world-class city while refusing to show the discipline needed to keep one.

“Dumping waste indiscriminately or building illegal structures along our highways will not move us forward.

“If we want a cleaner, safer and more organised Lagos, discipline and personal responsibility must become part of our everyday culture. That is how we build a city we can all be proud of,” the governor added.

PUNCH Online had earlier reported that Sanwo-Olu ordered the demolition of shanties and makeshift structures on the median of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, giving occupants a 72-hour ultimatum to vacate the corridor ahead of the enforcement exercise.

The governor said the operation would cover the stretch from Orile-Iganmu to Okokomaiko as part of the state’s efforts to reclaim public spaces and protect critical infrastructure.

He stressed that the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, a major component of the Trans-West African Coastal Highway linking Nigeria with neighbouring West African countries, was built with taxpayers’ money and must not be converted into a slum.

The governor also disclosed that the state would soon deploy 150 additional waste compactors and introduce waste collection tricycles in inner communities to strengthen refuse evacuation.

He added that the government was investing in modern waste processing infrastructure, including a material recovery and recycling facility capable of processing about 4,250 metric tonnes of waste daily, while urging residents to support the reforms through proper waste disposal and prompt payment for waste collection services.