National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), has embarked on clamp down on industries and recycling plants that failed to comply with environmental pollution laws in the South West of Nigeria.

The Director General of NESREA, Prof. Innocent Barikor, had ordered the sealing of nine (9) recycling facilities for environmental pollution in Ogijo, Ogun State, among other states.

A statement issued on Thursday by Nwamaka Ejiofor, Assistant Director of Press, revealed that the ongoing enforcement exercise in the South West Zone of the country has also seen the sealing of 20 other facilities in Ekiti, Osun and Ogun States

The Facilities sealed in Ogijo, Ogun State were: Vedanta Metal Industries Limited, Ogijo; Metal Manufacturing Nigeria Limited, Ogijo; African Non-Ferrous Limited , Ogijo; True Metals Nigeria Limited, Ogijo; BPL Nigeria Limited, Lagos Ibadan Express Way; Hanushi Manufacturing Limited Lagos Ibadan Express Way; Pristine Elt. Pvt. Limited, Ogijo; Timto Alu Company Limited, Ogijo; Ecomade Industries Limited in Ogijo.

Prof. Barikor said the enforcement exercise is in line with the mandate of the NESREA, which gives the Agency the responsibility of prohibiting activities and processes which undermine environmental quality.

He noted that it had become expedient to take drastic action against non-compliant recyclers in Ogijo community in Ogun State as their operations have continued to endanger the environment and lives of the citizens.

“The situation in Ogijo has been of concern due to the harmful activities of battery and scrap metal recyclers. Improper disposal of hazardous slag from battery recycling threatens environmental degradation and public health risks from toxic lead content. Tests have revealed presence of lead in residents, resulting in illnesses and deaths.”

Prof. Barikor stated that the failure of the facilities to adopt best available technology in their operations was in contravention of the National Environmental (Battery Control) Regulations 2024.

“There have been several stakeholders intervention which involved Federal and State Ministries of Environment, NESREA, State Environmental Protection Agencies, Non-Governmental Organisations and development partners in a bid to get the facilities to upgrade their operations to more environmental friendly technology and institute sustainable plan for management of slag and other waste from their processes but a recent tour of the community revealed total disregard for environmental laws of the land, a clear signal that some of these facilities do not have any intention of complying and their continued operation is a big threat to the health of residents and the environment in which they live.”

He stressed that the sealing of the facilities was therefore to protect the lives of vulnerable citizens and put a stop to the operations of the recycling facilities that undermine the law and expose Nigerians to danger.

“These facilities were closed for violating the provisions of the National Environmental (Battery Control) Regulations, 2024. Their offences include lack of Environmental Documents such as Environmental Audit Report (EAR), Environmental Impact Statement, Permits; Lack of Fume treatment plant; indiscriminate discharge of black oil; failure to carry out blood-lead test on staff; no proper slag management, manual battery breaking and washing and non-compliance with the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Programme.”

Enforcement was also carried out in the construction and quarry sectors where a total of Ten (10) sites were sealed for lack of Environmental Documents contrary to the provisions of the National Environmental (Construction Sector) Regulations, 2011 and the National Environmental (Quarrying and Blasting Operations) 2013 respectively.