Manufacturers have frowned at the multiple environmental levies slammed on them by various agencies of government in the country.
The Chairman of Apapa Branch of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Mr. Babatunde Odunayo, said the cost of being environmentally compliant remains very high for manufacturers, especially those in the small and medium scale category.
Odunayo, who stated this at the 8th edition of the mandatory environmental seminar held recently in Lagos, said MAN, over the years, has continued to provide a competitive platform for the improvement of the manufacturing environment through environment best kept premises competition and mandatory environment programme.
“We believe in international best practices. A good product will come from a good environment where best manufacturing practices are installed,” he said.
“This is why we introduced the Best Kept Industrial Premises competition and the mandatory environmental seminar to compliment it. All our members now fully understand that quite apart from protecting the environment through neutralisation of industrial wastes discharged into the environment, matters of sanitation, biosecurity and pollution control within the factory are also important in product quality assurance.”
He commended the Lagos State government for the provision of road infrastructure, drainages and the positive effect these improvements bring to traffic flow.
On rehabilitation of the road network within the Apapa axis, he said government should deploy resources to eliminate the traffic gridlock along Mile 2-Apapa Expressway to Tin Can Island as this would help in reducing the cost of transporting raw materials and goods in and out of Apapa for 70 per cent of Nigerian manufacturers operating in Lagos State.
“We cannot overemphasise the fact that a major rehabilitation of the road network within the Apapa axis for easier evacuation of manufactured products is urgently required,” he added.
Responding, the General Manager/Chief Executive Officer of Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Adebola Shabi, said the state has introduced new environmental law that will take care of multiple environmental levies on manufacturers.
Under the new regime, Shabi said LASEPA will investigate, monitor, report and take appropriate action on the non-compliance of laid down regulations with impact mitigation measures of proposed developmental projects as contained in any environmental impact assessment report submitted to it in respect of any activities or processes undertaken within the state.
Shabi, who was represented by the Director of Laboratory Service, LASEPA, Mrs. Abdulwariz Solanke, said the new law was not to send manufacturers out of business but to strengthen production activities in an environmentally friendly manner.
He states that government will always do its utmost to deliver quality services as required in environmental governance.