{UAH} Nigerian city of Lagos shuts 'noisy' churches and mosques

Nigerian city of Lagos shuts 'noisy' churches and mosques
•30 June 2016

Nigeria has seen a huge growth in evangelical churches
Authorities in Nigeria's Lagos State have shut 70 churches and 20
mosques in an attempt to reduce high noise levels.

About 10 hotels, pubs and club houses were also closed, officials said.

Some estimates put Lagos' population at around 20 million, creating a
constant background of noise - from the blaring of car horns, to the
Muslim call to prayer and loud singing in churches.

The state government has vowed to make the city, the biggest in
Africa, noise-free by 2020.

Africa Live: More on this and other news stories

In August, the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LEPA)
closed 22 premises after residents complained about noise emanating
from them.

Following the latest crackdown, its general manager Bola Shabi said
the agency would no longer allow people to pray in makeshift buildings
and tents.

Mr Shabi said noise levels had been reduced by about 35%, but this was
not a "pass mark yet".

"Enforcement is a continuous exercise and we have set a target for
ourselves. We want to ensure that Lagos is noise-free by the year
2020," he said.

Mr Shabi said mosques complied with their instructions more than
churches because when they are ordered to shut down, they "instantly
bring down their speakers or reduce the noise they make''.

Nigerians are extremely religious, with a large number of evangelical
churches operating in Lagos.

Christians form the majority in the city.

In 2014, 116 people died when a building owned by popular
televangelist TB Joshua collapsed in Lagos.

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