Lagos govt restates ban on firewood, charcoal for commercial cooking

The Lagos State Government has restated that the prohibition on the use of firewood for commercial cooking remains in force, warning that businesses found violating the directive risk sanctions, including the sealing of their premises.

The General Manager of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Dr Babatunde Ajayi, reiterated the government’s position on Tuesday during a one-day workshop organised for bakery operators in the state as part of efforts to improve environmental compliance and promote healthier food production practices.

Ajayi said the state had outlawed the use of firewood for commercial cooking several years ago and stressed that the policy remains unchanged.

He explained that enforcement measures are applied in stages, beginning with sensitisation before stricter sanctions are imposed on persistent violators.

“For us, when we find that a few people use firewood for domestic or commercial cooking, the first step is to notify them that this is wrong. The second is to send a pre-sanction warning, and the third step is to seal such a facility to stop the pollution,” he said.

According to him, the continued use of firewood poses health risks to both food producers and consumers while also affecting the quality of products and contributing to environmental pollution.

Ajayi added that cleaner energy sources such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and electricity are not only safer but also more efficient than firewood.

“So there are penalties, and we have continuously insisted that people must comply, and they must do so within the limits of our regulations,” he stated.

The LASEPA boss explained that the workshop forms part of the agency’s ongoing public engagement programmes aimed at promoting environmental sustainability and strengthening compliance with environmental regulations.

“The essence of this engagement is to train them and bring them up to speed with our environmental regulations on how they can manage the food they produce and the food security around it. Bread is very common; it is one of the most common foods that people in Lagos eat, and as the environmental regulator, we need to keep an eye on the source of their water, the cleanliness of their environment, the handling, and the protection of their workspace,” he said.

Ajayi further noted that the agency is encouraging bakery operators to adopt cleaner and more efficient energy sources.

“They need to manage their energy better. For us, we are frowning very strongly at the use of firewood in bread bakeries. We also frown on the use of charcoal. We have conducted a pilot exercise to modify their processes from charcoal to LPG, which is cooking gas. A few of them have been warned, so we are encouraging them to use energy that is more efficient,” he added.

Also speaking, the Director of the Land and Water Pollution Control Department at LASEPA, Faderera Koko, said the training was organised after routine inspections revealed that some bakery operators were failing to comply with required environmental sanitation standards.

She said the agency observed practices contributing to both air and land pollution within bakery premises, making the capacity-building programme necessary.

“So, we decided to organise a train-the-trainer workshop and capacity-building programme so that the environment can be safe for all,” Koko said.

The Chairman of the Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria, Lagos Chapter, Ayoola Mathew Olayiwola, commended LASEPA for organising the workshop, describing it as timely and enlightening.

He said the initiative would help bakery operators improve their production processes while ensuring compliance with environmental standards.