Lagos residents cry out as rising noise pollution worsens health

Cityscope

LAGOS, Nigeria (NPA) — Lagos residents have expressed growing concern over increasing noise pollution from religious centres, bars, workshops and power generators, describing it as a mounting environmental and health challenge.

In separate interviews with NAN, residents lamented the impact of overnight vigils, loud music, grinding machines, generators and overlapping sounds from worship centres located within residential areas.

Mrs Adewale Miracle, a home baker in Abule Egba, said noise pollution had become a daily struggle:  “From morning till evening, you hear grinding machines and generator noise everywhere. Sometimes, when there is a brief moment of silence, it feels as though your spirit has returned to your body.”

Miss Chinwendu Nwoke, a university student in Akoka, noted that constant noise from bars and generators had negatively affected her studies, especially during examinations.

Mr Daniel Ogunleye, a teacher in Bariga, said classroom learning was being disrupted: “Teaching has become difficult. Sometimes, you forget what you were explaining because of sudden loud sounds from nearby workshops or loudspeakers.”

Mr Oladipo Oladele, a civil servant in Ikotun, complained of disrupted sleep patterns due to late‑night vigils, while Mrs Kemi Adebayo, a trader at Ladipo Market, described the “banging of metals and continuous engine revving” from workshops as unbearable.

Mr Ibrahim, a retiree in Surulere, said persistent noise from welding machines had worsened his blood pressure and hearing condition.

The concerns resonate with the focus of the 11th Noiseless Lagos Summit, where the General Manager of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Dr Babatunde Ajayi, warned of the health risks of prolonged exposure to excessive noise, including hearing impairment, stress, hypertension, sleep disorders and reduced productivity.

He urged religious organisations, nightclub operators, workshop owners and event centres to adopt sound control measures or face sanctions.

Environmental consultant Rotimi Soremekun added that persistent exposure to loud noise was contributing to rising global health concerns, citing World Health Organisation estimates that millions are exposed to harmful noise annually, with productivity losses linked to prolonged exposure.

Noise pollution, residents say, has become more than a nuisance — it is now a public health emergency demanding urgent enforcement of environmental standards.