Lagos Agency Shuts 244 Churches, Mosques, Others

Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) yesterday disclosed that it shut down 244 facilities in 2025 for violating environmental laws.

The general manager of the agency, Dr Babatunde Ajayi, who revealed this to journalists during the agency’s annual performance appraisal and media parley at its headquarters in Alausa, Ikeja, stated that the facilities shut down include hotels, markets, eateries, warehouses, churches, mosques, and households.

He explained that the closures were the outcome of sustained monitoring, compliance and enforcement activities carried out between January and December 2025.

“During the year under review, LASEPA carried out 244 enforcement actions across households, markets, hotels, warehouses, service centres, churches and mosques to ensure compliance with state environmental laws,” he said.

He added that the agency also monitored over 200 hospitality facilities, including supermarkets, nightclubs and bakeries, noting that 180 abatement notices were issued to individuals and organisations found guilty of discharging raw sewage into lagoons and engaging in other forms of land and water pollution.

Ajayi said enforcement efforts extended to industrial and chemical facilities, stressing that improved monitoring had “significantly reduced incidents of fire outbreaks and chemical spillages” in chemical markets.

He cited a joint compliance operation at the Ojota Chemical Market, conducted in collaboration with NESREA and environmental task forces, as a key intervention.

Beyond enforcement, the LASEPA boss highlighted community-focused initiatives, including the installation of two state-funded smokeless kiln machines at the Ago-Egun Ilaje fishing community in Bariga.

“This intervention is designed to improve air quality, protect women’s health and boost economic productivity,” he explained.

Emphasising the importance of air quality management, Ajayi stated that LASEPA has partnered with local and international institutions to deploy low-cost air quality sensors across Lagos, providing real-time pollution data to inform policy and enforcement.

He also revealed that religious leaders and nightclub operators signed memoranda of understanding with the state under the Noiseless Lagos advocacy, aimed at curbing excessive noise.

“Our goal,” Ajayi said, “is not punishment alone, but a cleaner, safer and healthier Lagos for all.”

Ajayi said the agency deliberately combined enforcement with education and support, noting that compliance improves when operators understand both the health and economic costs of environmental abuse.

“We are not just shutting down facilities; we are also helping operators comply,” he said, adding that “That is why we established a compliance desk to assist industries facing environmental regulation challenges and to provide practical solutions.”