Wife of Lagos State governor, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, has stressed the need for strict adherence to market sanitation guidelines to avert epidemic outbreak.
Mrs Sanwo-Olu stated this at a one-day seminar on market sanitation and security for market leaders organised by the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO) in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development at Sabo Modern Market in Yaba local council development area.
The chairman of COWLSO said the committee had consistently resounded the importance of hygiene, safety and security in the markets in the past five years and said the administration of Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu had continued to launch several initiatives aimed at promoting market sanitation and safety.
“This is why, with the collaborative efforts of the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development, as well as the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO), my office has continued to identify areas that require improvement in our markets, hence the periodic market sanitation and security seminar.
“As we all know, markets are the lifeblood of our economy, providing essential goods and services to millions. However, they also pose significant environmental and health risks when we refuse to adhere to the guidelines of the state government on proper waste management,” she said.
“Without proper waste management, we risk stark consequences such as contamination of food and water, air and water pollution, which threaten not only consumers’ lives but also traders’ lives.
“But we can change the narrative by adhering strictly to the guidelines of the State Government, which interestingly would also help in converting these wastes into wealth when properly done.”
Earlier, the commissioner for Local government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development, Mr Bolaji Kayode Robert, while evaluating the seminar’s impact in the past five years, said there had been significant changes in the cleanliness adopted within and around the markets in the state.
He said, “Proper waste disposal methods are being adopted, regular sanitation is taking place, and security and safety measures are deepened. All these have resulted in the decrease of cases of fire outbreaks in our markets.”
