3 November, 2022

The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, LASEPA, under its GM Dr Dolapo Fasawe, officially commissioned the first government owned ISO certified Environmental Laboratory at the LASEPA Building in Alausa, Lagos, in line with the state government’s T.H.E.M.E.S agenda.

The GM spoke about the intersection of health and environment and the fact that without a clean, conducive environment, there can be no good health.

The essence of an ISO certified lab is to ensure that the quality of analytical results from physio-chemical, bacteriological and toxicological air, water and soil samples includes potable, surface and waste water, sediments, air, soil and hazardous waste materials amongst others.

The upgraded Laboratory now has state-of-the-art environmental laboratory equipment and engineering processes which are in line with International Standards Organisation (ISO) standards and best practices.

Dr Fasawe touched on the fact that the Lagos State Government championed this initiative and it is a first of its kind in Lagos, and Nigeria.

According to her, the initiative of the ISO-certified laboratory, was in line with the present administration’s T.H.E.M.E.S agenda which prioritizes Health and the Environment, adding that the project resonates with LASEPA’s mandate of safeguarding the environmental quality of the state’s land, air and water resources.

She described the ISO-certified laboratory as a boost for the Agency’s mandate in the area of monitoring the activities of industrial, commercial and government entities in the state to ensure compliance with the environmental management laws of the state while also achieving sustainable development.

The Lekan Bakare Foundation team was in attendance at the commissioning ceremony of the new ISO certified lab.  At the Lekan Bakare Foundation, one of our main goals is to develop capacity and innovative solutions, through the use of data, scientific research and technology to improve our ocean health. The commissioning of the first ISO lab by the Lagos State government is a welcome development.

The Governor, who was represented by the Commissioner of Environment and Water Resources: Mr Tunji Bello, stated that, he was pleased that the Laboratory earned the accreditation of the International Organisation of Standardisation for Quality Management System (ISO/IEC 9001) and Laboratory Management System (ISO/IEC 17025) which now makes LASEPA the first Government-owned environmental laboratory in Nigeria.

“As we strive to bring about a more resilient and environmentally sustainable State, we look forward to a more purpose-driven partnership with local and international bodies, academic institutions, researchers and non-governmental organisations”, Sanwo-Olu stated.

LASEPA is a major stakeholder in ensuring that we achieve the goals under SDG14. In the near future, we intend to build on our existing partnership with the environmental agency, by utilizing the facilities for research and to gather data on the adverse effects of pollution on our water bodies and how this negatively impacts life under water and human beings.

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