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The Ogun State government, in collaboration with the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), has closed seven battery recycling factories in Ogijo, Sagamu Local Government Area, due to lead emissions and other hazardous practices.
NESREA stated that the enforcement action followed the operators’ failure to comply with the National Environmental (Battery Control) Regulations 2024.
Under these rules, facilities must manage used lead-acid battery (ULAB) slag and metal residues safely, prioritise staff welfare, conduct annual blood lead tests, and provide appropriate protective equipment.
The regulations also require recyclers to carry out annual environmental impact audits on surrounding communities, adopt cleaner recycling technologies, and participate in pilot schemes for repurposing slag into bricks and cement materials.
Ogun State Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, said the shutdown was necessary to protect public health.
He hinted that the government is taking proactive measures to reduce the effects of the emissions and reassured residents that there was no need for panic.
He urged all factories in the area to follow international best practices.
The Ogun State government also called for an immediate temporary ban on the export of lead ingots produced within the state.
Leading a team of experts from the Ministries of Environment and Health, the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA), and NESREA, Oresanya announced that the government would conduct health and process audits of the affected industries.
Tests will also be carried out on soil, air, water, and residents to assess lead contamination in the industrial zone.
He promised that the results of the tests would be made public and said the government would further review the methodology behind previously reported findings.
