Korede Abdullah 
LAGOS, Nigeria – The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), working with the Ogun State Ministry of Environment, on Thursday sealed multiple recycling facilities in Ogijo after uncovering serious violations of environmental and industrial safety laws.
Officials say the enforcement action forms part of a renewed national strategy to curb hazardous pollution linked to battery-recycling activities.
NESREA’s Assistant Director of Press, Mrs Nwamaka Ejiofor, explains that the shutdown follows repeated failure by operators to comply with the National Environmental (Battery Control) Regulations 2024 and mandatory protocols governing the treatment of used lead-acid batteries.
“The protocol requires recyclers to manage ULAB slag and base-metal residue in a safe, environmentally sound and socially responsible manner,” she says. “They also committed to prioritising staff safety, including annual blood-lead monitoring and continuous provision of protective equipment.”
She stresses that non-compliance poses grave risks to workers, surrounding communities and groundwater resources.
NESREA and the Ogun State Government, working under the Project for Responsible Battery and Metal Recycling (PROBAMET), earlier carried out sector-wide assessments and sensitisation exercises to guide recyclers on global best practice. Officials say the sealed facilities repeatedly ignored these directives.
According to NESREA, enforcement will continue across the region until all operators meet prescribed environmental standards. The agency insists that unsafe recycling will no longer be allowed to jeopardise public health in Ogun State or anywhere in Nigeria.
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