The Lagos state government has sealed the DONALD restaurant, a nightlife establishment located on Road 14 in Lekki Phase 1, over illegal dumping of refuse along Durosimi-Etti Street in Lekki Phase 1.
This was disclosed by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, following the swift intervention of the Lekki Estate Residents Association (LERA), whose security team apprehended the suspects at the scene.
According to the Commissioner for the Environment, the vehicle was traced to DONALD restaurant, a nightlife establishment located on Road 14 in the estate.
“A white Ford van with Abuja registration plates GWA 136E was caught in the act of indiscriminately discharging waste. The vehicle was traced to DONALD restaurant, a nightlife establishment located on Road 14 within the estate. The suspects were apprehended on the scene by LERA’s Chief Security Officer and taken into custody at the LERA Secretariat. It was reported that the individuals attempted to bribe the security team with N100,000, an offer that was firmly declined,” Wahab stated
LAWMA seals restaurant for gross violations
Following the incident, the Managing Director of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Mr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, deployed the agency’s Monitoring and Compliance team to the site.
“The team took custody of the suspects and immediately sealed the premises of the DONALD restaurant for gross environmental violations, in breach of the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law, 2017,” Wahab disclosed.
Authorities believe this incident is part of a broader trend among some commercial establishments in Lekki Phase 1 that evade their waste management obligations.
What you should know
The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) currently works with 428 registered Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators to manage daily waste collection across more than 40 service routes in the state.
Despite this structured system, the agency notes that many commercial establishments continue to violate proper waste disposal regulations.
- Lagos generates around 13,000 tonnes of waste daily, most of which ends up in landfills under the traditional linear waste model.
- However, LAWMA projects that by transitioning to a circular economy focused on recycling and reuse, the state could divert up to 10,000 tonnes of waste per day into productive use.
- This shift, the agency estimates, holds the potential to unlock up to $2.5 billion annually by prioritizing recycling and reuse over the current waste-to-landfill approach.
- The state government has intensified its enforcement activities to address various environmental issues. In April 2025, thirteen markets and business plazas in Ketu and Mile 12 were sealed due to persistent environmental misconduct, including indiscriminate waste disposal on roads and public highways.
A residential property Viva Bella Court II, in Lekki Peninsula, was sealed for the deliberate discharge of untreated wastewater into drains and the spilling of overfilled septic tanks into the environment.
