It is 4.00am on a Saturday and the entire residential neighborhood is vibrating with the noise from the club. My windows are shut, blinds drown but the idea of a quiet night is now a pipe dream in Lagos.
Because of the nuisance ecosystem.
You can place a club on any road, edict on sound pollution, if they exist, are on paper, no community, no matter how residential is exempt from high traffic businesses.
It is an economy built on the less care for thy neighbor- a do as you damn well please philosophy.
But noise is just the beginning- somewhere in a close, in the middle of a high density residential area is a road-side diesel transshipment facility.
To legitimize this life-endangering venture, they have obtained a state ‘parking permit’ likely without full disclosure.
You can see this callous economy take shape with the buses making random and dangerous stops in the middle of the road to pick up passengers to the reckless convoys, guns sticking out of moving vehicles
The me-first philosophy underlying this is becoming a national way of being.
In some cases, such as the emerging micro-gated ecosystem, with each community installing gates at every turn, the logic is understandable- we have to protect ourselves if the government can’t- but ultimately unsustainable. No fence is high enough, no gate tall enough.
To paraphrase Ken Saro Wiwa’s son, we are trying to secure ourselves in an unsafe community instead securing the community for ourselves.
It is an all about me approach- and it has backfired as those gates have become prisons, the measures clearly ineffective. Still unsafe.
And my favorite peeve is the ‘block the road’ party economy where events are held without paying any heed to how it will impact their immediate communities or roads are blocked without notice to celebrate an individual accomplishment, like the birthday of a 1 year old children.
If we want to build the mega city of our dream, we must enforce standards, the quality of our buildings, public sanitation, noise pollution, road and driving culture; we must set boundaries for acceptable commercial activities in residential areas to protect lives.
Rule of rules
Cities must accommodate those who want to sweat to ear piercing noise at 4am and those who would prefer to hold their toddlers close and watch them sleep at this holy hour.
Lagos has to be a city for everyone, not just those who are high on something and low on empathy.
Many people urged him to report to Lasepa and some of them tagged the agency.
Moyosore Oloyede
There is an agency in Lagos in charge of noise and environmental control, LASEPA, but we don't see them acting on such public concerns. Pathetic!
Phone: Call or SMS. +234-704-635-1295. +234-815-045-8639. EMAIL: info@lasepa.gov.ng. Complaint form :
LASEPA
Dear @suleimana,
Thank you for bringing your concerns regarding noise pollution to our attention. We appreciate your detailed account of the challenges you've faced. Your input is valuable in our efforts to improve the environment.
LASEPA TAKES SWIFT ACTION AGAINST ILLEGAL DIESEL SALES IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS.
In swift response to the complaint by some residents of Victoria Island on illegal sales of some petroleum products within the neighborhood, LASEPA today demonstrated its commitment to environmental safety as it apprehended three tankers engaged in illegal sales of Automated Gas Oil (AGO) products, diesel along Taslim Elias Close, Victoria Island.
The Enforcement exercise carried out by the Lagos State government officials, targeted at bringing to an end, illicit diesel sales within residential areas, a clear violation of environmental regulations.
The apprehended trucks were caught at their illegal sales points, posing potential hazards to the community. LASEPA, in collaboration with relevant authorities, promptly intervened to curtail the activities and mitigate any environmental risks associated with such operations.
The agency therefore encourages residents to report any suspicious or similar illegal activities that may pose environmental risks through its designated channels.
LASEPA remains steadfast in its mission to uphold environmental standards and protect the citizens from the danger associated with environmental degradation and other infractions.
Today, LASEPA issued a stern warning to Morning Side Suites, a popular hotel located at 11B, Taslim Elias Close, Victoria Island. This action follows complaints from residents about noise pollution caused by loud music, disrupting the peaceful night rest in the neighborhood.
In response, LASEPA's enforcement team visited the hotel, providing a warning to the management. They outlined specific guidelines, including restricting noise activities to the hotel premises, limiting musical activities to 10 pm daily, adhering to approved noise levels, and maintaining good relations with the community.
The agency emphasized that adherence to these regulations is crucial for maintaining peace in the neighborhood. LASEPA warned that failure to comply may result in the hotel's closure for violating the state environmental laws 2017.
The state will serve you what you accept, it can only determine standards, legislate standards, assess standards and enforce standards to the extent that the CITIZENS insist on it.
This is true if anyone who offers services, but truer of the state as she has fewer competitors.
For four years, I responded to the unacceptable level of noise pollution by improving my home, including purchasing advanced sound proofing blinds, the state had no reason to sweat it until I took up arms, then it did. Let’s demand for one loudly if we want more from the state.
Many people subsequently began to complain to Lasepa about churches, mosques, nightclubs and other facilities in their neighbourhood that are disturbing the peace. Abubakar Suleiman also complained about another establishment in his neighbourhood.
Abubakar Suleiman - previously blue ticked @suleimana
… will the owner of this club situate it next to his home? Will the club goers accept this where the family lives?
Or is this just another case of any-howness believing Nigerians won’t stand up for themselves?
Well, the saddest thing here is, should this purveyor of noise pollution get to know the people who report them constantly, they'll tag those people "enemy of progress" and might even start hunting them.
In this country, we do the very wrong things and see it as right. When corrected, we flip our lid and start attacking whoever corrected us. It is indeed a shame.
Kudos to Lasepa. How I wish other states in Nigeria can also do this.
In December a woman complained about a hotel/club that was making a lot of noise all night and preventing her children from sleeping. LASEPA took action to stop them from disturbing the neighbourhood.
naptu2: Lasepa has taken action against lots of churches, mosques, music stores, hotels, bars and factories that have been engaged in noise pollution and there are many nairaland threads about those incidents, so I'll encourage you to complain, because the system works.
naptu2: The Lagos State Government has held several meetings with religious leaders, club owners, etc. over the past 22 years to educate them about Lagos State laws on noise pollution and to tell them what they can do in order to comply with the law.
● Churches have been advised to remove external speakers and the big churches with powerful internal speakers have been advised to soundproof their halls.
● Nightclubs, bars and other such entertainment venues have been advised to soundproof their halls.
● Mosques have been advised not to use external speakers during prayers.
etc.
In recent times the traffic law enforcement agencies have also had issues with nightclubs that hold special events at Christmastime, but do not have enough parking space for their patrons and they end up parking on the road and obstructing traffic. The government has advised them to provide adequate parking space for their patrons.
joseph1832: Well, the saddest thing here is, should this purveyor of noise pollution get to know the people who report them constantly, they'll tag those people "enemy of progress" and might even start hunting them.
In this country, we do the very wrong things and see it as right. When corrected, we flip our lid and start attacking whoever corrected us. It is indeed a shame.
Kudos to Lasepa. How I wish other states in Nigeria can also do this.
That reminds of what happened between the lady and the church in 2019. Although they didn't know exactly who she was, but they began praying against the person that was always reporting them to Lasepa.
naptu2: I think this is a really good opportunity to look at things from the other side.
Lagos State environmental agencies have been in the news recently because they've been carrying out regulatory enforcement. We've heard stories about places that have been shut or demolished, we've heard the side of the owners of those places and we've heard the side of the government. There is one side that has been missing in all of these.
You see, in most cases the government doesn't just go to shut down or demolish these premises. In most cases government action is as a result of complaints from members of the public. Complaints like the one below.
And just as the owners of the shut or demolished properties are not happy with government, many of the complainants are also not happy with government.
As has often been said, government doesn't just go to demolish or seal places. They usually do this only after a lot of warnings have been ignored. Those warnings are also a problem for the complainant. I'll give you some examples.
The government recently demolished some structures that were built on the Ikota canal and it is still going to demolish more structures. It was proven that the government has issued several warnings to the owners of those properties since 2019.
I told you that I saw tweets by someone that was complaining about those structures. He said that they had also warned the owners of the structures many times. He said that they experience flooding in their area because the owners had blocked the canal. He tweeted before and after pictures of the area.
Now imagine that you are that complainant above and you have complained to the government since 2019 and nothing has been done because the government was warning the owners and giving them time to voluntarily remove their structures. Imagine that you have been suffering the floods every year, but government has done nothing about your complaints, how would you feel?
I remember when the former head of LASEPA gave details of their processes. He said that they don't just shut places down for noise pollution. They first advise them, that is, tell them what the problem is and how they can solve it, then they come back later to monitor the situation (or the complainant can complain again), then they issue a first warning if the situation is still the same, then a second warning and then they seal off the property.
Some Nigerians have no patience for that.
I was advising someone to contact LASEPA a few years ago, when another person butted in and said that LASEPA doesn't do anything. He said that they are only there to collect money for regulations.
Yet I know many people that have had their problems solved satisfactorily by LASEPA. I guessed that the guy had a complaint and didn't have the patience to follow through and I was right.
A very good example is that girl that reported a church. She made a tweet thread about it and I converted it into a Nairaland thread. She didn't just report the church once. She reported them and they started praying against her, then she reported them several more times and they eventually had to change the location of their vigil because LASEPA was on their case.
This is a screenshot of someone reporting an abbatoir. He was responding to a tweet by a government official about the fact that the market management at Alaba Rago organised a cleanup campaign after seeing what has happened to other markets in Lagos.
That reminds of what happened between the lady and the church in 2019. Although they didn't know exactly who she was, but they began praying against the person that was always reporting them to Lasepa.
I don't agree with that sales of diesel, na wetin? So u expect people to carry their mighty big generator to filling stations to purchase diesel? E be like say una no get work
ceejay80s: I don't agree with that sales of diesel, na wetin? So u expect people to carry their mighty big generator to filling stations to purchase diesel? E be like say una no get work
A transhipment facility??
This isn't about selling diesel to someone in his house o!
From N-E-W-S you find this anyhowness which we have come to accept as "normal" in Nigeria. I remember how I hated Lagos for all the unnecessary noise everywhere and someone said "this is Lagos, it is normal". Thank God I wasn't abnormal to detest it and the government is waking up to purge Lagos of the anyhowness
ceejay80s: I don't agree with that sales of diesel, na wetin? So u expect people to carry their mighty big generator to filling stations to purchase di :Pesel? E be like say una no get work
Wait before now how were they filling up their tanks? So you will rather they endanger the lives of other residents by moving diesel trucks into residential areas? It is well o
Wait before now how were they filling up their tanks? So you will rather they endanger the lives of other residents by moving diesel trucks into residential areas? It is well o
So If u have a mikano generator, u will carry it to perol station any time u wanna refill? Haba.....
Lagos noise pollution is not a joke. I remember my former house in Ikeja, once they take light in the night, no more sleep for that day; everywhere will be sounding like a factory. I had concussion before God bless me to relocate.
naptu2: Contact the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA).
I reported an issue since January of 2023 of a restaurant that plays music right from morning till 11am, even attached the audio.... nothing has happened.
So If u have a mikano generator, u will carry it to perol station any time u wanna refill? Haba.....
I asked you a question which you purposely chose to ignore...let me ask you again..how were they filling up their mikano generator before having diesel trucks in residential areas.
2. So filliing up your Mikano is morr important than the lives that are endangered with having trucks of disel tankers in residential areas.
I reported an issue since January of 2023 of a restaurant that plays music right from morning till 11am, even attached the audio.... nothing has happened.
Keep reporting them.
Lasepa usually issues a first warning, second warning, etc, before they close down a place. The woman that reported the church reported them many times before they were forced to move.
Report them again and tell lasepa that you have reported them before.
