The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) has revealed that noise pollution was the most reported environmental offence in 2025, accounting for 3,300 of the 8,437 complaints received across the state.
The General Manager of LASEPA, Dr Babatunde Ajayi, disclosed this during the agency’s Annual Performance Appraisal and Media Parley held in Ikeja.
Ajayi said the agency shut down 244 facilities—including hotels, churches, mosques and warehouses—between January and December 2025 for breaching environmental regulations. He explained that the closures followed sustained monitoring, compliance checks and enforcement exercises across homes, markets, service centres and places of worship.
According to him, more than 200 hospitality facilities were inspected during the year, while 180 abatement notices were issued over issues such as raw sewage discharge, land degradation and water pollution.
Ajayi noted that stricter enforcement in chemical and industrial facilities significantly reduced fire outbreaks and chemical spillages, citing a joint enforcement operation at the Ojota Chemical Market with the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA).
He also disclosed that LASEPA installed two smokeless kiln machines at the Ago-Egun Ilaje fishing community to improve air quality, safeguard women’s health and enhance productivity.
On air quality monitoring, Ajayi said the agency, in collaboration with partners, deployed low-cost sensors and now releases weekly air quality data from 114 monitoring stations, with plans to scale up to 200 monitors by the end of 2026. He added that 60 additional monitors were already available and awaiting installation.
The LASEPA boss stressed that many noise-related complaints were resolved without sealing premises, noting that prevention is more cost-effective than treatment.
“For every one naira spent on environmental protection, about ₦40 is saved from managing sickness,” he said.
He added that religious leaders and nightclub operators signed compliance agreements under the Noiseless Lagos Advocacy initiative to curb excessive noise.
“Our objective is not punishment alone, but a cleaner, safer and healthier Lagos,” Ajayi said.
He explained that enforcement was complemented with education, including the establishment of a compliance desk to guide operators on meeting regulatory standards.
On public health, Ajayi said LASEPA partnered with the Ministry of Health on water quality testing to prevent cholera and other water-borne diseases. He added that about 25 per cent of ailments reported in health facilities were linked to environmental factors.
The agency also accredited 153 e-waste and battery recyclers in 2025 to curb unsafe disposal practices.
Ajayi said LASEPA would strengthen inter-agency collaboration in the coming year to enhance environmental safety across the state, while expressing appreciation to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for sustained investment in the agency, noting that LASEPA now boasts one of the best laboratories in the country.