• Health experts, clerics, others warn of grave health hazards
• We’ll continue to sensitise, enforce relevant laws – LASEPA
By Kehinde Aderemi
In many cities and towns across Nigeria, noise pollution is a raging scourge. It is a grave environmental menace that confronts the citizens daily. Noise pollution makes the citizens vulnerable to ill health and unexpected death.
But, in spite of the danger to the well being of citizens, Nigeria continues to battle with noise pollution.
Wherever you go – in churches, mosques, streets, bus stops, night clubs, lounges, hotels and so on, unrestrained noise from loud speakers punctuate the peace of the community at virtually all times.
The reporter went to town to inquire from individuals about the impact of noise pollution, how it affects them, and how the menace could be reduced drastically.
Lagos-based medical doctor, Doyin Adekoye said noise pollution is an environmental problem and source of distraction, adding that it causes physical and emotional disturbances.
According to him, the frequency of the noise can affect the eardrums and disrupt hearing. Most importantly, the suddenness of the noise can lead to shock and other health related crisis, he explained.
Adekoye stated further that life in Lagos State is boisterous, noting that noises travel from far and near without caution.
“You can hardly move around the state without having an idea of what it is to live in Lagos. Public places are always polluted with noise.
“Everywhere you go in Lagos, you see people using megaphones and other noise enhancing equipment to preach. Some people also use megaphones and other noise enhances to advertise their wares.
“However, I think the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) should continue to do everything that is possible to manage noise pollution in the state.
“Those saddled with the business of managing noise pollution should be involved in rigorous sensitisation and advocacy in order to combat the scourge,” he said.
A United States-based hydrologist, Sakinat Ahmad, said the effect of noise pollution could be dangerous to humans and animals.
She urged government agencies to work more on the enforcement of laws and regulations that have to do with noise pollution.
“Noise pollution has a lot of effects on the general well-being of the people. It could lead to hearing loss and increase mental health issues, in terms of anxiety. It could worsen cardiovascular issue that people are already living with. It could lead to sleep disturbance.
“Sleep is very important for our health. Depending on the time of the day. It could lead to people not being able to sleep and people would not be able to function well.
“Noise pollution has a lot of effect on humans and the environment itself. It could lead to ecosystem dysfunction, where the patterns of life of wild animals can be disrupted. It has a lot of terrible impact on both human beings and animals, and the environment in general,” she said.
Ahmad also explained the process of noise management in the United States, including the enforcement of laws against pollution.
She noted that the law in the United States is no respecter of anybody, noting that the citizens are aware of the law wherever they live in that country.
Her words: “Citizens are already aware of the laws that govern noise pollution and how it is being managed for their well-being.
“Although the law operates differently according to states, in general, the US manages noise based on where the noise is coming from. Noise could come from sports, entertainments, transportation, construction and religious houses.
“Then there is proper layout and the environments are strictly demarcated.
“There are residential areas. There are industrial areas. There are entertainment areas. These are in the downtowns of a city. If I am getting a house in the downtown, I should not in any way expect an overly quiet place.
“But even at that, the clubs and the entertainment areas in downtowns still have some regulations of things to do. It is just that you cannot expect that perfect silence.
“In a place designated as residential, you hardly hear any noise, because it is residential. I think demarcation of the areas has really helped people’s understanding and expectations about noise pollution management.
“Also in cities, there are regulations that people have to follow. Even in religious houses, there are laws on how much noise you can generate.
“It is in Nigeria that when you are driving and you see a friend, you greet by honking, that is using your horn. That kind of attitude can get you a fine in the US.
“These are rules that keep the society safe from noise pollution. In the US, you could go for like a week without hearing the sound of the horn from any car. If it is not necessary, there is no reason to do it.
And in the US, ignorance is not an excuse. There are penalties for noise pollution. “If you are having a party and you are disturbing your neighbours, a neighbour could call the police.
“You could be warned if you have never done such before, but if you keep repeating it, it could lead to a fine. Repeating it again could lead to higher fines. And if you keep repeating it, you will end up in jail.
“In the US, you’re free to practise your religion in as much as you are not causing any harm or inconvenience to other people. Churches and mosques are soundproofed. That would not allow the sound they are making in the facility to go outside. You don’t get to hear noise from the churches or mosques in the US.”
Speaking on the noise situation in Nigeria, Ahmad said since there are stipulated regulations and rules guiding noise pollution, enforcement should not be a problem She informed also that there was an urgent need for a shift in mind-set.
“In Nigeria, we need a mind-set shift when it comes to the rights of our neighbours. A lot of people say oh, it’s my life. But you need to consider the rights of your neighbours.
“It is their rights to have a peaceful stay in their houses or offices. So, making noise and disturbing the peace of other people is like infringing on their rights.
“There is need for a mind-set shift where you know that you owe other people the right to a peaceful environment and you can only do that by following the set down rules and regulations.
“The good thing is that some states in Nigeria already have the rules in place, but the problem has to do with the enforcement. Not just on noise pollution, there are several other things in Nigeria. The laws are there, but just the enforcement is lacking.
“Enforcement is what forces people to do things accordingly, bearing in mind that there are consequences.
“There are no saints anywhere. The people in the US are no saints. If they have the opportunity, they can also shout, disturb or cause noise pollution like others. But the only reason everybody falls in line is because they know there are laws and enforcement. And whenever they flout the laws, there are consequences.
Pastor Samuel Babatope, a senior pastor from Christ Apostolic Church, Alagbado, Lagos noted that noise pollution is very hazardous to human health.
The cleric said: “Some pastors believe that until you raise your voice in prayers, you have never made any impact. Some churches have loud speakers outside their churches and they believe those ones are for outsiders.
“However, speakers are meant to amplify your voice, especially, for those that are inside the church, not for people outside.
“I am against noise pollution and I do everything that is possible not to cause it in my church. Government, at all levels, still needs to do more of sensitisation on the effects of noise pollution and that’s possible if the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria are involved in the sensitisation process.
“There was an incident whereby a man died in our community as a result of noise pollution created by a church in Alagbado.
“The on-speaker was fixed directly opposite the flat of the man. He was not feeling fine and he complained seriously about the noise that came from the church’s speaker. But the church ignored and unfortunately, the man died.
“There is a level at which our body chemistry can curtail noise. The noise was too much for the man. Immediately after the sad incident, the church was evacuated from the community and we have regained our peace,” he said.
Also speaking, Sheikh Afeez Zaazili said the issue of noise pollution is very common in the society, but maintained that efforts could be made to curtail the effect in public places.
“For the past two decades that we have been here in Ikorodu, we have not recorded any complaints from any member of our community.
“The reason is that we have been maintaining our relationship with our neighbours and we also manage the noise from the mosque. Our usual Solats is five times daily. Though, we have our speaker outside, we try as much as we can to reduce the noise in order to avoid unnecessary controversies generated by the noise.
“I am using this opportunity to tell my Muslim brothers and those of us that engage in Tahajud prayers (vigils) to consider the right of our neighbours to peaceful living”, the cleric advised.
Meanwhile, in a video that went viral recently, Anambra State governor, Prof Charles Soludo is seen expressing his displeasure at the rate of noise pollution in the state.
The governor was at a market in the state to warn citizens against noise pollution.
Governor Soludo also issued strong warnings against loud preaching in public areas, particularly in markets, citing concerns over noise pollution and disturbance to public peace. He emphasised that preachers should conduct their services within a church or rent an open space. The governor sanctioned offenders with the sum of. N500,000
naira.
Speaking at the scene, Soludo said: “If you want to preach the word of God, you go to your church. You are causing pollution. You cannot come to a marketplace and begin to disturb everybody here.
“The person who wants to come to your church will come to your church. But you don’t force everybody. In a marketplace, people have come to trade. It is not a church. So you don’t do that.
In a cha with Saturday Sun, Dr Tunde Ajayi, General Manager Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), explained the roles that his agency had been playing in the management, enforcement and curtailing of noise pollution in the state in the last two decades.
He noted: “Lagos is the only state in Nigeria that has robust environmental laws and strategy, particularly against noise pollution.
He explained further that noise is under air pollution, which includes noise and emissions. He noted that emissions could come from generators, use of firewood for cooking, waste and bush burning, among others.
“On noise pollution specifically, the 2017 Environmental Protection Law in Lagos State prohibits the use of public address system and speaker to generate noise in open spaces.
“There’s no other state that has that law established. So, that is why I say Lagos State is the first and only state with the law. You cannot prosecute without first having a law.
“So, what LASEPA has been doing for the past 26 years is to enforce that law very rigorously. In the past two years, we have sealed almost 1000 businesses, including clubs, churches, mosques, schools, event centres, where noise was generated. And for us in LASEPA, enforcement is a continuous activity and it is a deterrent to pollution. Over the last couple of years, we have done back-to-back enforcement.
“On the other hand, LASEPA is the only agency under any government in Nigeria that has consistently done public advocacy against noise pollution,” he noted.
“On Wednesday, April 30, we held the International Noise Awareness Day, where we embarked on a sensitisation walk from Kudirat Abiola Way in Ikeja, to Medical Road and to Alausa to engage everybody at the bus stops, especially, those using megaphones.
“During the sensitisation walk, we did hearing test free-of-charge for people. For instance, the conductors have been exposed to various noise and that would have affected their eardrums and made them numb to noises.
“This is not the first time. It is something we have been doing consistently. We engage Lagos residents by educating them on the effects of noise pollution and we do it back to back and from time to time,” he said.
According to him, LASEPA has representatives in each of the local government areas and their job is to respond to complaints surrounding noise pollution across board.
His words: “LASEPA is the only government agency and Lagos State is the only state in Nigeria that has a portal for noise pollution specially.
“If you visit our website, you will see where you can report issues of noise pollution in your community to us. Now if you report to us, our representative in your community will visit that place, assess and measure the decibels at a time the activity is going on as evidence against the offenders in the court of law. We have a regulated measurement of noise, which is the designated decibels (DB) for demarcated areas, both in the day and at night.
“For instance in schools, during the day and night, it is 35, residential areas also have 55 during the day and 45 at night. For commercial areas, it is 70 in the day and 80 in the night while for industrial areas, it is 90 during the day and 80 during the night.
“These are the regulated decibels (DB) and we work rigorously to maintain it across board.
“For offenders, our enforcement procedures came with lots of evidence. We send in the first warning, in form of an abatement notice for them to stop the pollution coming out from their facility.
“There are instances where we gave an abatement notice and those involved responded. If that does not stop them, we go ahead to send them a pre-sanction notice, which means, we have come the second time, if you don’t comply we are coming to shut your facility. And if the person involved doesn’t listen, then we go ahead and shut the facility down.
“When we shut the facility down, the law allows us to shut it down for a minimum of three days.
“Then you will have to come to LASEPA, where you will be given a list of guidelines that you have got earlier and sign a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) to say that you will stick to the guidelines as written by LASEPA.
“When you sign the MOU, you will pay a fine, which is a cautionary fee, because the only way to enforce the law is to pay fines or penalties and sanctions.
“In LASEPA, the least fine is N50, 000. Whether it is a club, beer parlour, event centre, we will fine you and impound your noise generating equipment. It is an environmental offence and there are guidelines and regulations. If your facility is shut down, it is always something that you can negotiate at the court of law.
“So, if anybody feels like going to court to seek redress against us, we are happy and we will go to court because we always make sure that we have all our evidence before sanctioning offenders,” Ajayi said.