LASEPA, NPA move to tackle energy related environmental hazards
By Innocent Raphael
The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) are poised to join forces to combat environmental hazards detrimental to human health and the ecosystem in Lagos.
Their aim is to foster a cleaner environment in Lagos through enhanced cooperation, focusing on areas such as Tank Farms management, oil spillage, monitoring and enforcement, statutory reporting, environmental auditing, and contingency planning.
This collaborative effort seeks to bolster monitoring mechanisms and safeguard the environment against pollution and other violations that could jeopardize human health and ecological balance.
This was part of the agreements reached on Tuesday during a meeting between the Officials of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, (LASEPA) led by its General Manager, Dr. Tunde Ajayi and representatives of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) led by Mr Emeka Uchendu, NPA’s Principal Manager for Health, Safety and Environment, who represented the Acting General Manager, Engr Adekunle Adesona, held at NPA Office, Marina Lagos.
During the meeting, Dr. Tunde Ajayi, General Manager of LASEPA, emphasized the importance of collaboration and cooperation between LASEPA and NPA across multiple aspects of environmental management. He highlighted the significance of this partnership in realizing the shared objective of establishing a secure and sustainable environment within the State.
Accompanied by key officials from his agency, Ajayi underscored the importance of mutual understanding and collaborative action in addressing environmental challenges within the State.
He also emphasized that the State Government serves as the primary responder in emergencies, highlighting the necessity for rigorous enforcement of state environmental regulations to safeguard both human life and the ecosystem.
“The purpose of this meeting is to explore opportunities for collaboration and cooperation between LASEPA and NPA in various areas related to environmental sustainability, particularly Tank Farms management, issue of oil spillage, monitoring and enforcement, submission of statutory reports, audit, environmental, contingency among other areas,” he said.
He emphasized the significance of fostering synergy between LASEPA and NPA to effectively tackle environmental challenges and jointly ensure compliance with environmental regulations for a sustainable and cleaner Lagos.
In response, Mr. Emeka Uchendu, the Principal Manager of Health, Safety, and Environment (NPA), expressed NPA’s commitment to closely collaborate with LASEPA in implementing environmentally friendly practices that would foster the growth of a sustainable environment in Lagos, an emerging smart city.
He revealed that NPA had initiated several projects to further promote the growth of a clean and sustainable environment in the State. He urged the State Government to intensify efforts in various advocacy programs, including market sanitation, tree planting, flood prevention in Lagos, emission control, and reducing the use of non-biodegradable materials, among other initiatives.
The meeting concluded positively with both parties agreeing on a nine-point actionable resolutions, including the following;
- Establishing common communication channels between LASEPA and NPA to bridge the communication gap.
- Holding joint quarterly meetings, including LASEPA representatives in agency committee meetings.
- Involving LASEPA officials in Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) meetings
- Conducting joint surveillance operations along waterways.
- Organizing joint stakeholder engagement and awareness campaigns.
- Collaborating on the use of LASEPA’s ISO Certified Laboratory for analysis.
- Sharing data for environmental audit reports.
- Facilitating NPA staff access to collaborate on various initiatives.
