…As Muiz Banire faults FG’s interpretation of Supreme Court verdict
…Lagos summit targets environmental abuse of waterfronts
BENJAMIN OMOIKE
LAGOS, Nigeria — Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has issued a stern warning to individuals and organizations involved in illegal dredging, unregulated sand mining, and indiscriminate land reclamation along Lagos State’s waterfronts, declaring that such environmentally harmful practices will no longer be condoned.
Speaking at the inaugural Lagos State Waterfront Summit held on Thursday at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, the Governor described the scale of environmental degradation caused by these activities as alarming, warning that the ecological and economic future of Lagos hangs in the balance.
“Let me be perfectly clear: those who profit from illegal dredging, reckless land reclamation, and environmental destruction are jeopardizing the future of generations to come — and Lagos will no longer tolerate it,” Sanwo-Olu said emphatically.
The summit, themed “Pressure on the Lagoon: The Lagos Experience”, brought together key stakeholders from government, academia, the private sector, and coastal communities to deliberate on the urgent threats facing Lagos’ waterfronts and lagoon ecosystems.
Sanwo-Olu lamented the severe impact of illegal waterfront activities and climate change, which he said are accelerating erosion, flooding, and the displacement of communities. He cited his recent visits to Ibeshe, Ilashe, and Inagbe — all of which are witnessing varying degrees of degradation.
Using Idotun Village — now nearly consumed by the Atlantic Ocean — as a case study, the Governor issued a dire warning on the consequences of inaction.
“This is the human face of coastal erosion… It is a wake-up call that we must act urgently and decisively,” he said, noting that over 80% of Lagos’ shoreline has been lost over the past 50 years.
To tackle the crisis, the Governor announced plans to further strengthen the Ministry of Waterfront Infrastructure Development, empower local communities, and enforce stricter regulations on waterfront development.
“Illegal operators will face the full weight of the law,” he warned.
Banire: FG Misinterpreting Supreme Court Verdict
Delivering the keynote address, former Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Dr. Muiz Banire, echoed the call for urgent and collective action to protect the Lagos Lagoon.
Banire emphasised that preserving the lagoon and its surrounding ecosystem is a shared responsibility that goes beyond government action.
“This is not the fight of government alone. This is the fight of us all. Regulators must craft visionary laws and enforce them without fear or favour. Legislators must enact enduring frameworks that transcend politics,” he urged.
He also challenged private industries to prioritise sustainability over short-term profits, calling for environmentally responsible investment.
In a sharp critique of the Federal Government, Banire accused it of misrepresenting a Supreme Court judgment in a case between Lagos State and the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), clarifying that the ruling did not confer ownership of waterfront lands to the Federal Government.
“Nowhere in that decision was the issue of land ownership, whether on the waterfront or islands, considered or pronounced upon. The case was initiated through an interpleader summons by two associations — the Tourist Boat Operators and the Dredgers Association of Nigeria,” Banire clarified.
Commissioner Raises Alarm Over Disappearing Communities
Earlier, the Lagos State Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Hon. Dayo Bush-Alebiosu, described the lagoon as more than just a body of water, calling it “a source of life, culture, economy, and identity” for millions of Lagosians.
He warned that if immediate action is not taken, more coastal communities could face extinction.
“We have all witnessed how communities like Idotun Village have been swept away. If nothing is done, more livelihoods and opportunities will be lost,” Bush-Alebiosu cautioned.
He listed pollution, illegal dredging, unchecked urbanization, and climate change as the major threats to the lagoon’s sustainability. He also raised concern over the rapid depletion of fish stocks, which is compromising food security and devastating the livelihoods of local artisanal fishermen.
“If we continue down this path, we risk losing not only a vital ecosystem but also an irreplaceable economic asset,” he warned.
