The Lagos State Government has urged authorities of the local governments and local council development areas in the state to comply with Environmental Impact Assessment policies while executing projects in their communities.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Omobolaji Gaji, stated this on Wednesday during a stakeholders’ meeting with council managers and engineers in Alausa, Ikeja.
Gaji explained that the ministry has adopted EIA as a formal process to identify the likely impacts that may arise from a proposed activity on the environment, human health and social economic activities.
He said, “EIA has become a global decision-making tool by policy makers in protecting the environment with nations across the globe enacting laws and setting stricter standards to ensure compliance and Lagos State cannot be an exception.
“It is, however, worrisome that while we continue to see improvements in the level of compliance of the private sector players to the process, the same cannot be said of the public sector. Some LGA/LCDAs have continued to execute development projects in the state without EIA.
“This workshop is aimed at reversing the trend by encouraging LGs/LCDAs to mainstream EIA into their developmental initiatives.”
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