The Lagos State Government will curb street trading on major streets by setting up kiosks for hawkers, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has said.
He spoke at the weekend in New York during a media event which ended President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to New York for the 71st United Nations’ General Assembly (UNGA).
The law against street trading, Ambode explained, has been in place for 13 years, adding that his administration would provide an alternative to hawking.
He said: “We never banned street hawking. It has been existing since 2003. The law has been there, I only activated the law, and I’m trying to enforce it.
“The issue is, on the main streets, we should not have hawkers. So I’m looking for provisions to make sure that at least I can create new kiosks, so that people can have a place to sell. I will create new kiosks.”
The governor also refuted claims that his government was concentrating development projects on the Island at expense of mainland dwellers.
“That is totally not true. We are so inclusive; the bulk of the projects are actually in the hinterland.
“For the very first time, just recently we did 114 roads, two in each local government. That, in itself, actually indicates that we are into every nook and cranny of Lagos.
“Lagos is actually enjoying a government that has been so responsive and has been able to touch the lives of the rich, the poor. Whether you’re on the mainland or the island, we’re touching lives, and that’s what we intend to do for the rest of this tenure,” Ambode said.