Health
Oyingbo traders fight for survival as refuse takes over market
As traders struggle to stay afloat amid heaps of refuse that have taken over parts of the popular Oyingbo Market in the Lagos Mainland Local Government Area of Lagos State, consumers are raising concerns about the impact of poor waste management on food safety and public health. IDOWU ABDULLAHI reports
While a bustling food market is typically characterised by colourful displays of tomatoes, leafy vegetables, and other fresh produce, that is no longer the first sight that greets consumers at Oyingbo Market.
Instead, they are confronted by towering heaps of decomposing refuse.
A visit by PUNCH Healthwise to the popular foodstuff and general goods market in the Ebute Metta area of Lagos revealed an environment where refuse has encroached on trading spaces and walkways, obstructing both traders and consumers.
During the visit on June 17, our correspondent observed, on one side, food destined for dining tables across Lagos and beyond, while, on the other, a growing mountain of waste that has become an unwelcome neighbour sat.
The situation at the market raises concerns about food safety after the Federal Government recently disclosed that unsafe food causes 53,000 deaths and nearly 50 million illnesses annually in Nigeria.
Waste rivals market stalls
Although the market boasts a relatively modern look with structured buildings, the presence of waste near the Oyingbo Ultramodern Market, opposite the First African Church Mission, increases the risk of food and environmental contamination.
PUNCH Healthwise observed that the mound of waste rises several feet into the air, almost rivalling the market stalls.
Black nylon bags crammed with waste, rotting vegetables, discarded plastic bottles, food remnants, and other refuse have formed an imposing wall beside traders displaying food items meant for human consumption.
It was observed that, due to rain, the waste had formed a damp mound that attracted swarms of flies and emitted a noticeable, pungent odour.
Barely a few metres away, a woman carefully arranges bunches of ripe plantains beneath a faded pink umbrella, hoping to attract customers.
Besides her, flies hover over the decomposing waste before drifting towards exposed food items displayed on wooden tables and nylons on the surrounding floor.
Our correspondent also noticed that the waste provides shelter for rodents, while continuous decomposition releases offensive odours and encourages the growth of harmful microorganisms that may affect both traders and consumers.
Beyond the health implications, the refuse has become an economic burden for traders whose businesses now compete directly with garbage.
Battling stench
Several traders who spoke with PUNCH Healthwise questioned why the refuse had remained uncleared for weeks despite weekly payments for sanitation services.
A trader, who simply identified herself as Mrs Adaeze, said every business day begins with the same offensive odour.
Adaeze, who sells plantains a few metres from the waste heap, explained that instead of the fresh aroma of fruits and vegetables, she daily copes with the stench of decomposing refuse.
“The issue of the smell is a serious thing. We have no choice. That’s how it has been for more than a month. We have been battling with the smell daily. Before now, the LAWMA did come to pack regularly, but lately, they just stopped, and that’s the result,” she told PUNCH Healthwise in pidgin.
Just a few metres away, another trader selling leafy vegetables had temporarily packed up her produce after rainwater mixed with dirt flooded her section of the market.
Standing beside her folded wares, Mrs Ngozi (not real name) said moving elsewhere was simply not an option.
“This is our shade, and we have no option but to display our market here and sell. Our goods are perishable. Most times, I use my hands to cover my nose. The smell is getting worse, particularly during this rainy season,” she said.
Also, a butcher, Salahu Adeyemi, said the offensive smell had become impossible for customers to ignore.
“The smell has been what we are dealing with. It has not been easy for even our customers and us. Because of the smell, some customers just buy hastily and leave. Some don’t even wait enough to buy. They all complain about the stench,” Adeyemi, who spoke Yoruba, said.
A trader, Mojeed Alabi, who visited the public toilet beside the refuse heap, described how dramatically the environment had changed.
“I nearly missed my way to even the public toilet here. The waste has created a divided section, and you could hardly see what is on the other side.
“While the toilet has its own smell, the stench from the waste makes it even more uncomfortable to use the toilet. I don’t know why LAWMA has not come to pack the dirt for a while now,” Alabi said.
For Salam Ishola, a provision store attendant whose shop sits behind the towering refuse heap, the impact extends beyond foul odours.
Standing before shelves stocked with beverages, groceries, and household items, he lamented that the mountain of waste now blocks customers’ view of his shop.
“The heap of dirt has cut us off from the view of customers entering the market, and this has affected our sales drastically. Many of our customers are now finding it hard to locate us. Even new people coming to the market can’t even see us because of the height of the waste.
“It’s getting out of hand and frustrating. We not only have to deal with the stench, but now we’re losing prospective customers because we’ve been cut off,” he lamented.
During the visit, PUNCH Healthwise observed customers pausing to search for alternative routes around the refuse, while others simply avoided sections closest to the dumpsite.
Public health and nutrition experts warn that when decomposing waste sits only a few metres away from food items, the risks may extend far beyond the market, reaching thousands of households that depend on these food items every day.
However, the waste issue in the market is not an isolated sanitation problem.
Lagos waste crisis
The situation observed at the market reflects a wider waste management challenge confronting Lagos, with an estimated population of over 20 million.
Available data indicate that Lagos generates about 13,000 tonnes of waste daily, making it one of Africa’s largest generators of municipal solid waste.
Recently, managing the waste has remained a persistent challenge in Lagos as the Lagos State Waste Management Authority struggles to sustain waste evacuation efforts.
Across several communities, overflowing refuse bins, roadside dumps, and blocked drainage channels have become a common sight.
In many neighbourhoods, road medians and drainage channels have gradually been converted into unofficial dumping sites.
Amid growing concerns over the accumulation of refuse across the state, Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on June 18, ordered the immediate evacuation of waste across the state.
Food safety concern
Unlike residential neighbourhoods, where the effects of poor waste management may be limited to nearby households, markets like Oyingbo serve thousands of shoppers every day.
Fruits, vegetables, meat, and other food items purchased there eventually make their way into homes and restaurants across the state.
As a result, any contamination that occurs within the market environment has health implications far beyond the traders themselves.
Public health and nutrition experts warn that when decomposing waste is located close to food items sold for human consumption, it creates favourable conditions for food contamination.
They explained that flies attracted to decomposing organic waste can easily land on exposed fruits and vegetables after feeding on refuse, transferring harmful microorganisms in the process.
According to them, rainwater can also wash contaminants from waste heaps into nearby trading areas, increasing the chances that fresh produce may become contaminated before it reaches consumers.
A Public Health Nutrition Specialist and Senior Technical Advisor with FHI 360, James Oloyede, described the situation as a significant food safety concern, warning that waste and food displayed side by side will inevitably interact in ways that may not always be visible.
“Waste in marketplaces is a public health issue because of its consequences for the ultimate consumers of those food items. Whenever waste is present in public places where food items are displayed—whether the waste consists of wastewater, solid waste, plastics, organic waste, or any other form of refuse—there is no way it will not interact with the food. That is the basic truth,” he said.
He explained that one of the first consequences is cross-contamination.
“The immediate consequence is cross-contamination. Once refuse is close to where food items are displayed, there is a high likelihood of contamination. Waste also attracts pests such as flies and other insects, creating favourable conditions for contamination of food displayed in the markets,” he said.
Oloyede said contamination may also reduce the nutritional quality of food.
“From a nutritional standpoint, whenever waste interacts with food, the nutritional quality of that food may be adversely affected or destroyed. In addition, it creates what we call a risk of infection, as pathogens and microorganisms can be transmitted from waste surfaces to the food being sold in the markets,” he said.
Oloyede stated that the decomposition of organic waste also generates heat, which accelerates the deterioration of nearby fruits and vegetables, gradually reducing their nutritional value.
“Now, let us consider the effect on the nutritional quality of food sold in environments where waste interacts with food. When waste accumulates, it generates heat due to the decomposition of organic materials. The heat produced can degrade some of the nutrients contained in food, particularly in fruits. Fruits deteriorate rapidly under such conditions and are easily destroyed.
“Food exposed to these conditions is also subjected to oxidative stress resulting from pest infestation within the marketplace. In addition, microorganisms, particularly bacteria, feed on the nutrients contained in the food. As these microorganisms multiply, consumers who eventually eat the contaminated food become susceptible to infection,” he said.
He noted that as organic waste decomposes, it releases contaminated liquid known as effluent, which can spread disease-causing organisms.
“Whenever organic waste decomposes, it produces effluents, and these carry numerous pathogens capable of causing cross-contamination and contaminating food. We also know that food hygiene practices in Nigeria are often inadequate. Even the environments where food is prepared in many homes are not always sanitary. Therefore, the problem becomes a double burden—contamination at the market and further contamination during food preparation,” he said.
He said heaps of decomposing waste provide food and shelter for rodents, cockroaches, and other pests that are known to spread diseases.
“Wherever heaps of waste exist, they attract cockroaches, flies, rodents, and other pests. These are associated with diseases, including Lassa fever, which is spread through rodents, and other infectious diseases. Consequently, consumers who purchase food displayed near waste are at a much higher risk,” he said.
Also, a Professor of Public Health and Community Medicine, Prof. Best Ordinioha, said heaps of waste close to food markets pose health risks, including food contamination and asthma attacks.
“When it comes to food safety, there’s the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point system. For every food, the hazards associated with that food are identified and analysed. In this case, the hazard is microorganisms.
“If the food is usually cooked before eating, then there is a likelihood that the microorganisms will be killed by the cooking. But if the food is consumed raw, like fruits and vegetables, and of course salads, then that is where the problem is,” Ordinioha said in an earlier interview.
He noted that cooking the food does not always eliminate every danger.
“There are some heat-stable toxins. One is caused by Staphylococcus aureus. The toxin is heat-stable, which means that no matter how you cook it, the toxin will not be destroyed, and it will go ahead and cause food poisoning. So those are the times in which there will be problems with such refuse dumps,” he stated.
He explained that the traders themselves, many of whom spend several hours each day beside the refuse heap, are exposed to conditions that may affect their health.
“Refuse dumps encourage the growth of mould or fungi, and fungi produce spores. Those spores are allergens, which means they have the capacity to trigger an asthmatic attack. So if somebody is asthmatic or is prone to allergic reactions, they can easily get an attack or an allergic reaction staying very close to such a refuse dump,” Ordinioha said.
Sanwo-Olu orders waste evacuation
On June 18, 2026, the Lagos governor ordered the immediate evacuation of waste across the state.
He said the Lagos State Waste Management Authority, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, and the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources would work together to clear the waste.
“I have directed an immediate scale-up of waste evacuation across Lagos following the recent build-up of refuse in some parts of our state.
“LAWMA, LASEPA, and the Ministry of Environment are currently working around the clock. We have deployed extra trucks and personnel to clear the backlogs across all affected neighbourhoods. You should already see progress on the streets, and we will not stop until our city is completely clean again,” he said in a post on his X handle.
In an exclusive interview with PUNCH Healthwise, the LASEPA General Manager, Dr. Babatunde Ajayi, said there was a progress plan to clear the waste across the state.
“There is a progress plan that we have to ramp up the efficiency of our trucks and waste collection systems. In the past week, the commissioner even announced that there would be special mop-ups, and this is to make sure we don’t have the challenge anymore. Within a few days, all of that (refuse) will be sorted,” he said.
Also, Spokesman for the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Kunle Adesina, assured that with the governor’s directive, all wastes would be evacuated across the state.
Without giving a timeline for when the evacuation would be done, Adesina said waste in markets, like Oyingbo and other places in Lagos, would be evacuated within a short period.
“The number one citizen has given a directive, and it is all-encompassing, including the markets and communities. Since he gave the directive, machinery has been deployed.
“With the governor’s directive, more equipment has been deployed to achieve the purpose of ensuring the evacuation of waste and a cleaner environment. But I will not be able to give you the timeline for the evacuation of all the waste.
“Everybody has begun working to ensure that Mr Governor’s directive to evacuate the waste happens in the earliest possible time,” he told PUNCH Healthwise.
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