The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) has shut down 619 facilities, including worship centres, hotels, and other establishments, for various environmental infractions in 2024.
The agency’s General Manager, Dr Babatunde Ajayi, disclosed this during an interaction with journalists in Ikeja, Lagos, on Tuesday.
He revealed that noise pollution accounted for 528 of the closures as the agency intensified its enforcement of environmental laws.
Ajayi stated that LASEPA conducted a record 352 enforcement operations in 2024, tripling the number carried out the previous year.
These operations, he said, targeted households, hotels, and worship centres under the Environmental Management and Protection Law of 2017.
He noted significant achievements by the agency in 2024, including the launch of the Lagos State Carbon Registry during the Sustainability Summit in September; the installation of 20 additional air quality monitors to bring the total to 43, and the introduction of energy-efficient kilns for bakeries to reduce air pollution in local communities.
He also highlighted improvements in digitalisation, such as revamped laboratory services and streamlined processes for technical reporting and permit issuance.
Ajayi added that LASEPA secured $5.5 million in research grants and received $100,000 worth of air quality monitors to support its efforts.
Ajayi said the agency would double its advocacy for environmental consciousness in 2025 while focusing on stricter enforcement of existing laws.
He revealed plans to intensify action against noise pollution, enforce anti-smoking regulations by designating smoking and non-smoking zones, and advocate proper waste management through authorised disposal bodies.
Ajayi explained that public complaints would be handled more effectively through an expanded complaints centre and digital channels, while academic publications and public awareness campaigns would also be increased.
He reaffirmed LASEPA’s commitment to holding industries more accountable for environmental compliance.
“Lagos must become a model for environmental management. With digitalisation and stronger enforcement, we aim to create a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable state,” he said.