Lagos Goes Tough On Illegal Dredging, Mining, Land Reclamation

Lagos State authorities has warned that immoderate individual, nary substance however highly placed, and entities engaged successful amerciable dredging, unregulated soil mining, and reckless onshore reclamation crossed its waterfronts volition look the afloat wrath of the law.

The state’s governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, issued the stern informing astatine the archetypal Lagos State Waterfront Summit yesterday. He declared that specified biology infractions volition nary longer beryllium tolerated.

The politician successful the summit, themed: ‘Pressure connected the Lagoon: The Lagos experience’, that brought unneurotic cardinal stakeholders from government, academia, the backstage sector, and waterfront communities said, “Let maine beryllium clear: those who nett from amerciable dredging, reckless onshore reclamation, and biology demolition are jeopardizing the aboriginal for generations to travel and Lagos volition nary longer tolerate it,”

He decried the accelerated degradation of the state’s coastal and marine assets, citing amerciable activities and the effects of clime alteration arsenic large contributors to erosion, flooding, and assemblage displacement.

The governor, who reminisced connected his caller visits to susceptible communities similar Ibeshe, Ilashe, and Inagbe, wherever residents are already experiencing the dire consequences of waterfront mismanagement, painted a grim representation of Idotun Village, erstwhile thriving but present astir consumed by the Atlantic Ocean.

“This is the quality look of coastal erosion… a wake-up telephone that we indispensable enactment urgently and decisively,” helium said, noting that implicit 80% of Lagos’ shoreline has been mislaid successful the past 50 years.

To code the crisis, the politician revealed ongoing efforts to fortify the Ministry of Waterfront Infrastructure Development, empower section communities, and enforce stricter regulations connected waterfront activities.

He emphasised that amerciable operators would look the afloat value of the law.

The event’s impermanent speaker, erstwhile Lagos State commissioner for Environment and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Dr. Muiz Banire, called for corporate enactment to support the Lagos Lagoon, describing its preservation arsenic a shared work that transcends authorities alone.

Speaking connected the urgent request for sustainable biology practices, Banire emphasised that safeguarding the lagoon requires the engagement of each sectors of society, from lawmakers and regulators to backstage industries and mundane citizens.

“This is not the combat of the authorities alone. This is the combat of america all. Regulators indispensable trade visionary laws, but not without decently federalising the country. Legislators indispensable enact laws that endure beyond politics, portion regulators indispensable enforce them without fear, favour, oregon compromise,” Banire stated.

He besides called connected industries to follow sustainable practices and urged the backstage assemblage to prioritise investments that unafraid semipermanent biology well-being implicit short-term profits.

Banire besides attacked the Federal Government for allegedly twisting the Supreme Court’s judgement connected issues related to waterfront spot ownership.

Earlier, Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Dayo Bush-Alebiosu, described the lagoon arsenic much than conscionable water, emphasising its relation arsenic a root of life, culture, economy, and individuality for millions of Lagosians.

“We person each witnessed however immoderate coastal communities similar Idotun colony person been swept away. If thing is done, much communities, livelihoods, and opportunities volition beryllium lost,” helium warned.