For all projects development projects across the state, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval is required, according to the Lagos Government.  ,
Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, the Special Adviser on Environment, made this known during a stakeholder meeting on environmental impact assessment (EIA) for Lagos State real estate professionals and project developers held in Ikeja, Lagos.
Before the EIA process begins, he claims, all developers and builders must do so.
Before construction begins, Rotimi-Akodu explained that projects for 5-floor buildings and above, 8 apartments and above, shopping malls, gas stations, industrial facilities, sand mining projects, dredging, land reclamation, among others, must be approved before the structures can begin to take shape.
He claimed that the Lagos State government would not be reluctant to impose regulations in the interests of public safety and sustainable development whenever necessary.
The special adviser makes it clear that the environmental management tool EIA must be used by both the private and public sectors (Real Estate Sector stakeholders) to achieve sustainable development.
According to him, Lagos State has remained Nigeria’s top destination for investors and businesses, citing the growing population, modern infrastructure, and sound policies that have continued to foster a favorable environment for businesses to flourish.
He explained that the creation of industrial facilities, the construction of new settlements, the development of estates, and other real estate-induced environmental effects range from air, land, and water pollution to sometimes irreversible environmental degradation if not properly managed.
He claimed that the government is determined to maintain its commitment to protecting the environment and the public health, and that the EIA process is an essential tool for protecting the environment and ensuring sustainable development in accordance with international best practices.
The said EIA is a formal procedure for determining the likely effects of a proposed activity or project on the environment, human health, and socio-economic activities. It also aids in determining the likely negative and beneficial effects of a project with the goal of putting in place measures to reduce or mitigate the negative effects.
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The State cannot afford this expense in the face of other pressing needs because everyone is folding their hands and watching development activities harm the environment and destroy the fragile ecosystem costs, according to the Special Advisor.
He reiterated that the real estate and construction sectors, along with other sectors, contribute significantly to the state’s GDP and provide thousands of jobs, including those in project development, architecture, engineers, artisans, construction materials, suppliers, facility managers, among others.
Tajudeen Gaji, the Permanent Secretary of Office Environmental Services, also spoke at a time when all hands must be in the game to ensure sustainable development in the State.
The EIA is a crucial safeguarding measure that has been widely used to safeguard the environment and public health around the world.
It uses early identification of likely negative and positive effects that could be the result of a proposed project as its objective and provides recommendations for either reducing, reducing, or reducing the negative impacts.
He emphasized that while projects develop have obvious advantages, they also have harmful environmental and social effects that need to be effectively managed or mitigated.
He claimed that if everyone ignored these effects, they would further degrade the already fragile state’s ecosystem and, in turn, put public health and safety at risk.
In his lecture, Olasunkanmi Sojinu, the director of the Environmental Assessment Department, made reference to the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law 2017 and the EIA Act, which mandate that all significant developments must undergo the process and obtain appropriate approval before proceeding.
Source: Channels TV
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