By Oladele Oladipupo
Let’s take a trip down memory lane. The history of environmental protection and management in Nigeria started as far back as 1988 when a foreign toxic waste dump was discovered in the port town of Koko in Delta State. It was at the time when the federal government was already in the forefront in calling for international action to prevent developing countries from being used as dumping grounds for hazardous chemicals and wastes from industrialized countries. The Koko episode helped in accelerating the process of strengthening the country’s policies, institutions and laws in support of development that is both ecologically and economically sustainable. This led to the Establishment of the defunct Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA) through the enactment of Decree No 58 of 1988.
The new agency was saddled with the responsibility of protecting the nation’s environment and human health. Within a short period, the agency was able to identify the major environmental challenges facing the country which include but not limited to the following: industrial pollution, air pollution, water pollution, solid waste management, draught and desertification, climate change, erosion and flood, coastal and marine pollution etc. Having identified the major environmental challenges facing the country, the agency started to develop instruments of intervention in order to tackle the myriad environmental challenges.
First, the agency started the process of developing a National Policy on the Environment that set out new development guidelines and implementation strategies in 14 different priority areas. These areas include but not limited to the following: Land use and soil conservation, water resources management, sanitation and waste management, toxic and hazardous substances, mining and mineral resources, agricultural chemicals etc.
Second was the development of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Act CAP E12 LFN 2004, which makes it mandatory for proponents of all new major development activities to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment study of their proposed project.
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Third was the development of the National Guidelines and Standards for Environmental Pollution Control in Nigeria followed by the development of Environmental Management System and National Policy on Climate Change. In enforcing the National Environmental Laws and Regulations, the defunct FEPA adopted the policy of “Carrot and Stick” approach. That is, industries that complied with the environmental laws were adequately rewarded by giving them tax incentives such as tax rebate and tax holidays while those that refused to comply were sanctioned. Prior to the enforcement of these laws, the agency organized series of awareness campaigns and sensitization programmes.
Moreover, industries were given three years moratorium to put in place their effluent treatment facilities. The states were also advised to set up their own State Environmental Protection Agencies.
This takes us to the issue of how environmental laws and regulations are being enforced in Lagos State particularly those that relate to environmental sanitation and waste management. Currently, the state is grappling with various environmental challenges which include industrial pollution, environmental sanitation and waste management, air pollution, noise pollution, coastal and marine pollution.
In order to address these environmental challenges, the Lagos State government established the following institutions namely: The Lagos State Ministry of the Environment, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) and the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA). These institutions have developed various laws, regulations, guidelines and standards in order to ensure that the environment is protected. As part of efforts in tackling the myriad environmental challenges in the state, the Lagos State government budgeted the sum of N231.176 billion for the environment sector in the 2025 fiscal year. It is interesting to note that environment sector has the lion share of the total budget for this year. Recently, the Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment rolled out the activities which the state had embarked upon in the past couple of years.
However, my concern is with the implementation of some of the state’s policies and environmental laws particularly in the areas of environmental sanitation and waste management.
It was in the news just of recent that people that violated the environmental sanitation and waste management laws were asked to spend three months in the correctional facilities. The people were said to have been caught urinating in the public by Kick Against Indiscipline Officials (KAI). Frankly, I think this kind of punishment is too harsh for the offence. The option of fines would certainly have been better instead of putting them behind bars. Recall that a couple of months ago, the Minister of Interior, alerted the nation about the problem of overcrowding in our correctional facilities nationwide and that there was need to decongest them.
The question is: Where are these environmental offenders going to serve their jail terms? I think what the state government needs to do is to provide toilet facilities across the state in various motor parks, market places and bus-stops for the use of the public. By so doing it will create a lot of job opportunities for the unemployed youths; not only that, but also reduce the rate of crime in the society.
Moreover, the state government should also try to organize series of awareness campaigns and sensitization programmes so that people will know that it is an offence to defecate in the public and that heavy penalty attach to its violation.
On the issue of solid waste management, obviously it is capital intensive and funding seems to be the major challenge. What I have noticed in the management of solid waste in Lagos State is that most residents in the state do not sort out their wastes right from the source. Segregation of wastes is very important. There are wastes that are biodegradable and those that are non-biodegradable. For instance papers, bottles, cans and plastics are non-biodegradable and they can be recycled while refuse are biodegradable and can be landfilled. Lagosians should be taught how to segregate their wastes from the source and by so doing, the rest of the wastes will be easier to handle.
There are quite a number of energy companies in the United Kingdom and the United States of America that do have Best Available Technology (BAT) that can convert wastes into energy. Regarding the recent outright ban on the production and use of single plastics, it is quite unfortunate. If this policy is vigorously enforced, it is going to have devastating impact not only on the manufacturers but also on the small and medium enterprises. There are only a few industries that do recycle waste plastics. Aside from that, the state government could have a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the manufacturers on the policy of “buying-back” where the manufacturers will now recycle the waste plastics.
The point bears emphasising that before any government introduces new policies that will impact the masses either positively or negatively, it is imperative to involve relevant stakeholders to gather their inputs. For instance, there have been cases of poorly formulated and implemented policies such as the naira re-design policy during the last administration. Had it been that relevant stakeholders were involved in the formulation and implementation of the policy, it could have been successful.
My final appeal is to the Lagos State government to please rescind its decisions on the three months jail sentence on environmental offenders and the ban on the production of single use plastics.
