Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO) sealed Coca-Cola, FrieslandCampina, and Guinness factories for unauthorized groundwater extraction. Despite years of engagement, the companies failed to comply with regulations. LASWARCO emphasizes the importance of regulating groundwater use to prevent environmental damage and has issued penalties for non-compliance.
The Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO) has shut down the factories of Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company, FrieslandCampina WAMCO, and Guinness Nigeria for extracting groundwater without proper authorization. Despite ongoing discussions for over seven years, the companies did not fully comply with regulations. LASWARCO’s director of technical services, Olowu Babatunde, explained that the commission had made efforts to encourage compliance, but it was left with no choice but to enforce the regulations.
The Environmental Management Protection Law of 2017 empowers LASWARCO to regulate commercial groundwater extraction due to potential environmental risks, such as land subsidence and contamination. Tokunbo Wahab, the state’s commissioner for environment and water resources, emphasized that despite offering a 75% fee waiver in 2020 to encourage compliance, many organizations still ignored the incentive.
LASWARCO issued a 72-hour ultimatum to companies that failed to meet the regulations, warning them that penalties would be enforced. This move aims to ensure that groundwater extraction is properly authorized, to safeguard the environment and prevent future damage.
