Lagos State Government has shut down the sewage and wastewater treatment facility of Yaba College of Technology, YABATECH, over allegations of discharging untreated waste into the environment.
The enforcement was carried out by the Lagos State Wastewater Management Office, LSWMO, operating under the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, after the institution allegedly ignored multiple warning letters and failed to rectify the violations.
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, announced the development in a post on his verified X handle on Friday, stating that the action was taken in line with the state’s zero-tolerance policy on environmental infractions.
“The Lagos State Wastewater Management Office has sealed off the dysfunctional sewage/wastewater treatment facility of Yaba College of Technology for illegally discharging raw sewage into the environment,” Wahab said.
He described the act as a breach of the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law, 2017, which prohibits the discharge of untreated wastewater or sewage into drains, canals, or open spaces.
The commissioner noted that such illegal discharge poses severe threats to public health and the environment, undermining the state’s efforts to promote a clean and sustainable ecosystem.
“The Lagos State Government frowns seriously at all forms of illegal wastewater discharge, as they are detrimental to public health and environmental protection,” he added.
Wahab reaffirmed the government’s resolve to strictly enforce environmental compliance across public and private institutions, stressing that adherence to wastewater management standards remains crucial to achieving a flood-free, cleaner, and safer Lagos.
He also explained that the action was part of the ongoing #ZeroToleranceLagos campaign, which seeks to hold individuals, organisations, and institutions accountable for pollution, negligence, and other environmental offences.
Officials of the Wastewater Management Office revealed that YABATECH’s management had been previously engaged and given compliance timelines, along with technical guidance, before the sealing became necessary.
