LASEPA Unseals Jumia Warehouse in Ikeja

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The Jumia warehouse situated at Surulere industrial road, off Allen, Ikeja, has been unsealed by officials of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA).

On Wednesday, the facility was closed for contravening the lockdown order of the federal government in the state aimed at stopping the spread of coronavirus in the country.

But the next day, the warehouse was opened after it was established that Jumia was among those allowed to operate during the period, which is expected to last 14 days in the first instance.

Putting up the update on its Twitter handle, @LasepaInfo, the agency said the warehouse was opened “having established that Jumia can be classified as an essential supplier as contained in the Infectious Disease Regulation signed by the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu on March 27, 2020.”

The initial sealing of the popular online retail store had elicited condemnation from social media users, who lamented why the Jumia outlet should be closed down at a time Lagos residents have been asked to stay at home to stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

In response to LASEPA’s tweet and action, Nigerians on twitter blamed the agency for not doing proper fact finding before sealing the warehouse, and asked LASEPA to tender an apology to Jumia.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, Jumia Nigeria has demonstrated responsible corporate citizenship. The company on Wednesday announced its partnership with Lagos State Government on #MyHandsAreSafe campaign, as an information tool to curb further spread of COVID-19.

Recently, Jumia announced the implementation of Contactless Delivery as safety measure for customers to further enhance social distancing measures. In response to the pandemic, Jumia announced a partnership deal with Reckitt Benckiser to enable customers have access to hygiene products at affordable prices during the lockdown.