The Enugu State Government has directed all churches and mosques in the state to remove outdoor loudspeakers and install soundproofing measures within their worship centers. This decision was made during a stakeholders’ meeting on Thursday, aimed at implementing the Enugu State Anti-Noise Pollution Policy.
The meeting, organized by the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, brought together Christian and Muslim leaders, government officials, and media practitioners to address noise pollution in the state.
In December 2023, the state government had directed all nightclubs, beer parlors, and other entertainment operators to mitigate their noise pollution in the capital city, particularly in residential areas.
However, the Chairman of the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, Hon. Uche Anya, lamented that his office has received over 1,000 letters of complaints from around the state capital regarding noise pollution from different churches.
“Noise pollution is the biggest challenge in Enugu state capital today, and we cannot continue this way,” he said. “We have received over 1,000 petitions from residential neighbors complaining about their inability to sleep at night due to noise pollution emanating from churches and business operations.”
The government is calling for active collaboration and support from religious leaders and business operators to implement the policy effectively.
“We must ensure we eliminate noise in the state. We cannot allow any bar with free-to-air operations. If you must operate in residential areas, you must put in place acoustic measures to ensure that noise from your business and church does not affect your neighbors.”
