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By Kazeem Ugbodaga
The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) has carried out at least 30,000 noise pollution enforcement actions in the last 30 years as part of efforts to protect residents from environmental hazards, its General Manager, Dr Babatunde Ajayi, has disclosed.
Ajayi said on Wednesday that the agency had consistently undertaken more than 1,000 noise-related enforcement actions annually since its establishment, covering businesses, industrial facilities, religious institutions and residential premises where necessary.
He made the disclosure while reflecting on LASEPA’s three decades of environmental regulation and enforcement, describing the anniversary as an opportunity to assess the agency’s achievements and chart a course for the future.
According to him, the milestone provided an opportunity to evaluate how effectively the agency had fulfilled its mandate and contributed to improving the quality of life and protecting property across Lagos State.
“Thirty years is an important stage in the life of any institution. It is a time to evaluate how much has been accomplished, how faithfully the agency has fulfilled its mandate and, more importantly, how effectively it has protected Lagos and improved the quality of life and property of Lagosians,” he said.
Ajayi identified noise pollution monitoring, digitalisation of operations and expansion of enforcement activities as some of the areas where LASEPA had recorded progress.
He said the agency had digitised its operations, enabling residents to submit and track environmental complaints through its online portal, irrespective of their location within the state.
“We have strengthened noise pollution regulations and monitoring, digitised our operations and introduced a system that allows residents to submit and track complaints through our online portal, regardless of their location within Lagos State,” he said.
The General Manager also disclosed that LASEPA’s enforcement activities had compelled some facilities and religious institutions to relocate from locations where their operations violated environmental regulations.
He, however, acknowledged that the agency still had considerable work to do, particularly as Lagos continues to experience rapid population growth and expansion of its built environment.
Ajayi identified population growth as the biggest challenge to environmental protection in the state, explaining that increasing human, industrial and commercial activities had intensified environmental pressures.
“The biggest challenge to environmental protection in Lagos is population growth,” he said, noting that the expansion of the state required the agency to extend its operations to emerging communities while maintaining effective monitoring of existing areas.
He explained that changing neighbourhood patterns also required environmental regulations and enforcement strategies to evolve, as some areas previously regarded as residential were gradually becoming commercial centres.
Ajayi further highlighted the role of LASEPA in Nigeria’s carbon market and climate action efforts, describing the agency as the only government-owned environmental laboratory operating functionally at its level in the country.
He said LASEPA had also documented its 30-year journey and achievements in a documentary to mark the anniversary.
While acknowledging the progress recorded, Ajayi said the agency remained committed to strengthening environmental monitoring, expanding enforcement and adapting its operations to the changing needs of Lagos.
He maintained that the ultimate objective was to protect the environment, safeguard public health and improve the quality of life of residents across the state.
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