NIGERIA: Borno Bans Street Hawking, Illegal Activities In Maiduguri

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria 

The Borno State Urban Planning and Development Board has imposed a ban on street hawking and other unauthorised activities within Maiduguri metropolis to promote urban order and environmental cleanliness.

In a statement on Friday, the General Manager of the board, Mr. Limán Mustapha, announced that the ban aligns with the Borno State Urban Planning and Development Law of 2002.

The directive prohibits street hawking, tricycle operations, and roadside generator repairs, particularly in the bustling Post Office and Monday Market areas of the city.

Activities on pedestrian walkways, junctions, and roundabouts have also been outlawed, along with the sale of engine oil on road reservations, dumping of sand or building materials, mixing cement on roads, and constructing boreholes by the roadside.

Mustapha stressed the urgency of compliance, instructing those affected to vacate the occupied sites immediately.

He warned that the board would take legal action against violators, emphasizing that arrests and prosecutions would follow any breach of the ban. The measures, he explained, are aimed at fostering a clean, safe, and organized urban environment in Maiduguri and other parts of the state.

The board called on residents and business owners to cooperate with the new regulations to avoid legal consequences.

Mustapha underscored that the initiative is essential for sustainable urban development and preserving the city’s infrastructure.