Lagos State has mandated individuals, public and private project owners/developers to subject all projects to Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process and obtain EIA approval before implementation or face the full weight of the Law.
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources Tunji Bello, in a statement, said it has become necessary for all projects to be subjected to EIA at the conception stage because of its multifarious benefits.
According to him, the EIA is a formal process for identifying likely impacts that may arise from a proposed activity of a project on the environment, human health and social economic activities. Bello stressed that EIA helps to identify the likely adverse and beneficial impacts of a project on the host environment, and puts in place measures to mitigate the negative effects.
“It is also a critical environmental management tool that must be embraced by both private and public sector in order to achieve sustainable development,” he added.
He noted that Lagos remains the preferred destination for many businesses because of its business-friendly policies to the ever-growing population. Bello explained that the state also provides huge market for goods and services, coupled with the doggedness of the administration to provide necessary infrastructures and enabling environment for businesses to thrive.
The commissioner said the government has therefore adopted the application of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (EIA) process in ensuring sustainable implementation of development projects in the State in line with global best practices.
The government has also warned residents against patronising unlicensed e-hailing taxi operators. Commissioner for Transport Frederic Oladeinde said only eight e-hailing taxi operators have been approved to run in the state. He urged residents to be wary of patronising two others which failed to subject themselves to government’s regulation.
The licensed operators, according to Oladeinde, are: LagRide, Uber, Bolt, Let Me Run, Global Taxi, Zoom Run, Treepz (Plenty Waka) and Shuttlers.
He added: “These entities are recognised and licensed to carry out lawful e-hailing operations in Lagos. But In-drivers, Rida and others are not licensed. Anyone transacting business with them should be wary as they pose security threats to safety of lives and property.”
Oladeinde expressed government’s displeasure at the refusal of the App owners and partners (drivers) of the affected firms to comply with the law guiding their operations, despite series of meetings held to ensure compliance.