The Lagos State Government has sealed off the premises of three major companies—Nigerian Bottling Company, producers of Coca-Cola, Guinness, and FrieslandCampina, producers of Peak Milk—for allegedly extracting groundwater without authorization.
The enforcement, carried out by the Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO) on Tuesday, targeted the companies for failing to comply with regulatory requirements on groundwater usage.
Speaking on the development, the Director of Technical Services at LASWARCO, Mr. Olowu Babatunde, emphasized the commission’s authority under state laws to regulate large-scale groundwater extraction.
“We operate a law that empowers us to regulate most of these heavy abstractors in Lagos State. Abstractors are individuals or entities that extract large quantities of groundwater for commercial purposes,” Babatunde explained.
He further revealed that despite over seven years of engagement with the affected companies, compliance levels have remained unsatisfactory.
“Some either comply partially, while others fail to comply at all. Now that we’ve begun the implementation of our regulations, we are compelling them to meet all their regulatory obligations,” he stated.
The enforcement followed a briefing by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, who highlighted the potential environmental risks posed by unregulated groundwater extraction.
“The Environmental Management Protection Law 2017 empowers LASWARCO to regulate groundwater activities and impose penalties for unauthorised abstraction,” Wahab said.
He warned that continued non-compliance could result in severe consequences, including land subsidence and groundwater contamination. To encourage adherence to regulations, the state government in 2020 offered a 75 per cent waiver on groundwater abstraction fees, but the response from companies remained poor.
Wahab disclosed that letters had been sent to non-compliant organizations, giving them a 72-hour ultimatum to comply with regulatory demands.
He added that penalties would be imposed on those who continued operations without proper authorization..
Do you want to share a story with us? Do you want to advertise with us? Do you need publicity for a product, service, or event? Contact us on WhatsApp +2348183319097 Email: platformtimes@gmail.com
We are committed to impactful investigative journalism for human interest and social justice. Your donation will help us tell more stories. Kindly donate any amount HERE
