The Lagos State Government has sealed Mega Plaza on Breadfruit Street, Lagos Island, for discharging untreated wastewater into public drains.
The Lagos State Wastewater Management Office (LSWMO) enforced the closure after monitoring the property at night and obtaining photographic evidence of violations.
In a statement published on the official X (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday, the government revealed that the facility used a pumping machine at night to discharge untreated wastewater into public drains, polluting the environment and exposing citizens to communicable diseases.
“The Lagos State Wastewater Management Office (LSWMO) has continued to demonstrate its dedication to ensuring credible and sustainable wastewater management in the State by once again clamping down on the Mega Plaza on Breadfruit Street, Lagos Island for discharging untreated wastewater into the public drains, through the use of a pumping machine,” the statement read in part.
The statement further noted that the General Manager of the Lagos State Wastewater Management Office, Engr. Adefemi Afolabi, reiterated the State’s zero tolerance for environmental pollution and degradation.
Afolabi stressed that the agency remains resolute in its commitment to ensuring a clean and healthy environment for the benefit of public health.
He emphasized that properties and facilities violating environmental laws would face strict sanctions by the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law of 2017.
What you should know
The Lagos State Government, through various agencies, has intensified efforts to ensure strict compliance with sanitation, hygiene, and environmental pollution regulations across the state.
A key focus of these initiatives is the monitoring and enforcement against the discharge of untreated wastewater into public drains, a practice that pollutes the environment and exposes citizens to communicable diseases.
In September 2024, for instance, the Lagos State Wastewater Management Office (LSWMO) sealed Cravings & More, a fast food outlet along Egbeda-Idimu Road, for discharging waste into public drains.
- This action followed multiple public complaints about the illegal disposal of fats and oils into the drainage system, which caused clogged drains, a proliferation of maggots and houseflies, and foul odors.
- Similarly, in February 2024, the Lagos State Wastewater Management Office (LSWMO) sealed a Jumia outlet located on Herbert Macaulay Way in Yaba. The enforcement was due to the facility’s unauthorized disposal of sewage into the surrounding area, posing significant health and environmental risks.
These actions highlight the government’s unwavering commitment to protecting public health and maintaining a clean, habitable environment for all Lagos residents.
