Residents of some Lagos communities have called for stronger enforcement against businesses and operators over persistent environmental violations.
The residents made the call in separate interviews with reporters on Thursday in Lagos.
Mr Hameed Hassan, a resident of Haruna, Ogba, said noise from a nearby hotel and bar had become unbearable.
“The people blast music without regard for others all night. When there is no light, they turn on their noisy generator,” he said.
Similarly, Mojeed Akinyemi, an Ogba resident, called for the closure of a welding workshop in Karaole Estate over persistent noise pollution.
“I have approached the welder several times, but he rudely tells me off. This is a residential area, yet we cannot have peace,” he said.
Akinyemi urged the government to intervene, saying the noise became particularly disturbing whenever electricity was available.
Mrs Shola, a resident of Pen Cinema, Agege, also complained about noise from a grinding machine operated in her neighbourhood.
“The noise from the machine is so disturbing that you cannot breathe well when it is turned on,” she said.
Meanwhile, Mr Friday Alabi, a resident near Yaya Abatan Mosque, Ogba, complained about indiscriminate waste dumping along road medians in the area.
“People are so brazen when they do these things. I have caught a particular young man on two occasions,” he said.
Alabi said the man continued dumping waste even after repeated warnings, claiming that nobody could stop him.
“I have told some men, and we have decided to set a trap for him. But the government should have people monitoring these road medians for violators,” he said.
The complaints come despite continued enforcement by environmental authorities against noise pollution and other environmental violations across Lagos.
The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency sealed several establishments in Agege and Mushin on 18 August over persistent environmental violations.
The agency said the affected establishments had previously received warnings and abatement notices over noise and air pollution.
LASEPA said the enforcement was aimed at ensuring compliance with environmental laws and protecting public health and the environment.
Speaking on recurring environmental violations, LASEPA’s Managing Director, Dr Babatunde Ajayi, said sustained enforcement and advocacy were necessary to achieve full compliance.
“Change of culture doesn’t come out of the blue; it takes a while,” he said.
Ajayi said environmental compliance had improved compared with previous years, adding that LASEPA had recorded results beyond its set targets.
“Enforcement is one strong way of making people comply, because other people will see the enforcement you’ve done and will do the right thing,” he said.
He said LASEPA was combining enforcement with advocacy to deepen compliance among residents and businesses.
“We think that, ultimately, people will change with the deepening enforcement and the extensive advocacy we’re doing,” he said.
Similarly, the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has intensified enforcement against indiscriminate waste disposal, illegal dumping and other environmental infractions.
In July, LAWMA, in collaboration with the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps, arrested 12 persons during enforcement operations in Lagos Island, Yaba and Ikorodu.
LAWMA said the arrests were linked to indiscriminate waste disposal, scavenging and other environmental infractions.
The agency said sustained enforcement and public awareness remained important in promoting compliance and protecting the environment.
