Enforcement Follows Years of Non-Compliance with Groundwater Regulations
The Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO) has taken decisive action against FrieslandCampina (producers of Peak Milk), Nigerian Bottling Company (makers of Coca-Cola), and Guinness Nigeria Plc, sealing their factories for unauthorized extraction of groundwater. This enforcement occurred on Tuesday, December 23, 2024, after years of unsuccessful attempts to bring these companies into compliance.
Environmental Risks Highlighted by State Officials
Lagos State’s Environment and Water Resources Commissioner, Tokunbo Wahab, emphasized during a press conference on Monday, December 22, 2024, that unregulated extraction of groundwater poses significant risks like land subsidence and contamination of water sources. He pointed out that LASWARCO’s actions are backed by the Environmental Management Protection Law of 2017, which grants the commission the authority to regulate and penalize non-compliance in groundwater usage.
Wahab noted that in 2020, the state government had offered a 75% waiver on abstraction fees to incentivize compliance, but the response was insufficient, leading to the current enforcement measures.
A Long-standing Issue of Regulatory Neglect
Mr. Olowu Babatunde, LASWARCO’s Director of Technical Services, stated that these companies had been involved in large-scale groundwater extraction without proper authorization. “Despite our prolonged engagement, these companies have not fully adhered to the regulations,” Babatunde explained. He mentioned that the commission had given a 72-hour notice to these organizations to comply, which was not heeded.
Commitment to Sustainable Groundwater Management
The sealing of these factories is part of a broader commitment by the Lagos State Government to manage groundwater sustainably and protect against environmental degradation. Wahab stressed the importance of regulation compliance to safeguard Lagos’s natural resources for future generations, warning that further penalties would be levied on any organization found operating without the requisite permissions.
