In a bid to tackle environmental challenges in the state Ajayi, the General Manager of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Babatunde Ajayi has disclosed that the agency is set to launch the Lagos Carbon Registry, a comprehensive system designed to document carbon emissions across Lagos, reduce its risks and propel the state into the global carbon trade arena.
Ajayi, speaking on Thursday, in a press conference in view of the upcoming Lagos sustainability summit, described the Lagos Carbon Registry as an online Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) platform that will meticulously record the carbon footprints of industries and commercial activities within the state.
The registry is expected to play a crucial role in ensuring that Lagos complies with international climate agreements, particularly the resolutions of the Conference of the Parties (COP).
He emphasised that the initiative would position Lagos as a leader in Nigeria’s environmental management efforts, setting a pace that other states are expected to follow.
He also expressed confidence that the registry would attract significant global attention and establish Lagos as a key player in the carbon trade market.
“We have done a lot of work to make sure that we can convert or help people transition these things to fit into the larger frame of what Lagos is doing in compliance with the COP resolutions. So, the carbon registry is supposed to help us to document this progress and then get us set on trade on carbon which is why we are saying that it is a landmark thing, something that will gain a lot of global traction. We also expect that it will lead the way in terms of what we are able to do in Nigeria and we are going to set the pace for others to follow.”
In addition to the carbon registry initiative, Ajayi highlighted ongoing efforts by LASEPA to tackle the persistent issue of open defecation in Lagos. He acknowledged that open defecation remains a significant environmental problem, exacerbated by the state’s dense population and the clustering of major access points.
He recounted a recent experience at the Berger axis of Lagos, where he personally intervened in cases of open defecation. He revealed that LASEPA, in collaboration with the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency, has initiated enforcement measures along that part of the axis where open defecation is prevalent.
“On open defecation, it is one of the problems we have identified in the environment and we have decided and are committed to solving that problem. As we know, there is a population situation, and the major access points cluster areas are the places you have open defecations. I was coming from Berger to this place and I went to deal with open defecation.
“So, there is collaboration with the Ogun state government, myself and the MD of the Ogun state environmental protection agency did a thing on that entire stretch and we initiated enforcements, so that anybody who is found defecating on that stretch will face the law and of course, that is in collaboration with the local governments. So, we are not folding our hands
Ajayi also disclosed plans to construct public toilets along key corridors and enhance lighting in areas prone to open defecation. These measures are aimed at curbing the practice, which typically occurs in the early morning or late at night.
“There are toilet constructions coming up along that corridor. We have chased people over open defecation on that axis into Ogun state.
“We are also bringing light to those corners because hardly will you find someone defecating in the day; it usually happens either early in the morning or late at night.”
He also stated that LASEPA is working with the media to increase public awareness and advocacy against open defecation, noting the importance of community engagement in solving the problem.
Chioma Kalu
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