The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has warned that recycling facilities in Ogijo Community, Ogun State Southwest Nigeria that fail to comply with environmental remediation protocols will face revocation of their operational licenses.
The warning follows growing concerns over unsafe practices by battery and scrap metal recyclers in the Community, including improper disposal of hazardous slag, uncontrolled lead dust emissions, and the absence of workers’ health surveillance.
Tests have confirmed elevated lead levels among residents, resulting in illnesses and fatalities.
The Director-General of NESREA, Professor Innocent Barikor, issued the directive in Abuja during a meeting with operators of nine battery recycling facilities recently sealed for environmental violations in the South West Zone.
“Facilities will remain sealed until verifiable corrective actions are implemented,” Professor Barikor said.
He said; “This administration under President Bola Tinubu is committed to ensuring Nigerians live in a healthy environment. Time is running out for errant operators.”
Professor Barikor stressed that “slag removal is an emergency, emphasizing the polluter-pays principle, and called on operators to register with the Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) and adopt cleaner technologies.”
The NESREA’s Director of Inspection and Enforcement, Dr. Christopher Beka said the clampdown is part of a nationwide effort to address life-threatening environmental risks posed by non-compliant facilities.
“Sealed plants are undergoing regularization to meet compliance standards,” Dr Beka said.
He emphasized that proper procedures were followed, and affected companies are being guided through what is required for re-opening.
In his remarks the Director, Hazardous Materials Management and Environmental Safety for Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA) Lawal Babatunde, accused the facilities of failing to abide by guidelines set out by the State Government for the evacuation of slag from the community.
Present at the meeting were the Executive Secretary of the Alliance for Responsible Battery Recycling (ARBR), Mrs. Miranda Amachree and operators of facilities in the battery and base metal recycling sectors.
Olusola Akintonde