*Tokunbo Wahab, Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, affirms the unregulated groundwater extraction could lead to serious environmental consequences, including land subsidence and groundwater contamination

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

For their apparent failure to comply with regulatory directives for seven good years, the Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO) has shut three companies -Nigerian Bottling Company, producers of Coca-Cola, FrieslandCampina, makers of Peak Milk, and Guinness Nigeria Plc – for extracting large quantities of groundwater for commercial purposes without proper authorisation and regulations in the state.

绿帽献妻 learnt Mr. Olowu Babatunde, Director of Technical Services at LASWARCO, disclosed this development during an enforcement exercise Tuesday, December 23, 2024, in Lagos.

Earlier, Tokunbo Wahab, Honourable Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, at a media briefing Monday, had spoken about the enforcement against unregulated groundwater abstraction in the state.

Babatunde equally related how LASWARCO had engaged with the three recalcitrant companies for over seven years to encourage them to comply with regulations, but efforts have been unsuccessful.

He also stated: “Abstractors are individuals or entities that extract large quantities of groundwater for commercial purposes.

“So, these companies that we have sealed, basically three of them 鈥� Coca-Cola, FreislandCampina and Guinness, abstract water in large quantities.”

The companies either comply partially or do not despite engagements for more than seven years.

The Director noted: “Some, either they do partial compliance, or some don鈥檛 comply at all.

“So, now that we started the implementation of our regulation, we now compel them to fulfil all their regulatory demands.”

LASWARCO empowered to regulate groundwater activities, says Commissioner

Wahab, Lagos Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Monday also explained the Environmental Management Protection Law 2017 empowers LASWARCO to regulate groundwater activities and impose penalties for unauthorised abstraction.

According to him, unregulated groundwater extraction could lead to serious environmental consequences, including land subsidence and groundwater contamination.

Wahab further said that in 2020, the government offered a 75 percent waiver on groundwater abstraction fees, but compliance was low.

The Commissioner noted the measure necessitated LASWARCO to initiate enforcement actions against defaulters.

The Lagos State Government as well issued letters to non-compliant organisations with a 72-hour ultimatum to comply, and penalties would be imposed on those who continued to operate without authorisation, Wahab stated.

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