FG seals 29 facilities for environmental pollution in Ekiti, Ogun, Osun

Nigeria’s federal government, through the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), had sealed 29 facilities in Ogun, Ekiti, and Osun states for environmental pollution.

In a statement issued on Thursday, signed by Nwamaka Ejiofor, Assistant Director (Press), the agency noted that nine facilities were sealed in Ogijo, Ogun State.

The closure of the 29 facilities comes at a time when concerns over industrial pollution and its impact on public health are growing in Nigeria.

Prof. Innocent Barikor, Director General of NESREA, stated that the enforcement exercise aligns with the agency’s mandate, which prohibits activities and processes that undermine environmental quality.

He noted that it had become expedient to take drastic action against non-compliant recyclers in the Ogijo community in Ogun State, as their operations have continued to endanger the environment and the 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 the presence of lead in residents, resulting in illnesses and deaths,” he said.

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’ interventions 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 environmentally friendly technology and institute a 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 said.

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,” he added.

The facilities sealed in Ogijo, Ogun State, according to the statement, are: Vedanta Metal Industries Limited, Ogijo, Ogun State; Metal Manufacturing Nigeria Limited, Ogijo, Ogun State; African Non-Ferrous Limited, Ogijo, Ogun State; True Metals Nigeria Limited, Ogijo, Ogun State; BPL Nigeria Limited, Lagos-Ibadan Express Way; Hanushi Manufacturing Limited, Lagos-Ibadan Express Way; Pristine Elt. Pvt. Limited, Ogijo, Ogun State; Timto Alu Company Limited, Ogijo, Ogun State; and Ecomade Industries Limited, Ogijo, Ogun State.

Enforcement was also carried out in the construction and quarry sectors, where 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.

The facilities are, “Laralek Ultimate Limited (Arc Legacy Project) Ota, Ogun State; Visible Construction Limited, Ota, Ogun State; Strabic Construction Limited, Ota, Ogun State; Areatech Construction Limited, Ota, Ogun State; Medaville Construction Limited, Ota, Ogun State; Adron Home & Properties operational base office (Gbongan Road, Oshogbo) for three project sites (Paris Park Gaden, Ikirun Road, Iragbiji: EAR; Bukingham Parks and Garden, Poponla, Ede. EAR; Miami City, Ilesha Road. EIS); S&M Nigeria Ltd, Ekiti State EIS.

“Step Development Ltd,  Ekiti State EIS; Hitech Construction Limited Papalanto, Ogun State EIA; Craneburg Construction Company Limited, Ota, Ogun State EIA; and SLAVABOGU Nigeria Limited Awo-Iyowe Road, Egbedore LGA, Osun State.”

In the domestic and industrial plastic sector, five facilities were shut down for operating in flagrant disregard for the national environmental (Domestic and Industrial Plastic, Rubber and Foam Sector) Regulations 2011, and operated without environmental documents, a lack of fume abatement technology, and non-submission of quarterly compliance monitoring reports.

The facilities are: “Polo Good Intl Company Ltd, Lagos Ibadan Express Way, Ogun State; Meibalun International Limited, Lagos Ibadan Express Way, Ogun State; Jomoo International Industrial Limited, Lagos Ibadan Express Way, Ogun State; Zhong Ju Nigeria Limited, Lagos Ibadan Express Way, Ogun State; Vanke Machinery Limited, Lagos Ibadan Express Way, Ogun State.

“One facility, GS Agriculture Limited, Osogbo, Osun State, was sealed for violating the National Environmental (Food, Beverages and Tobacco) Regulations 2009. The facility was faulted for not having the necessary Environmental Documents. In the non-metallic mineral manufacturing sector, one facility, West Stone and Marble Processing Company Limited, Ikirun, Osun State, was sealed for non-submission of the Environmental Audit Report.

“For refusal to comply with the National Environmental (Motor Vehicle and Miscellaneous Assembly) Regulations 2011, one facility, Icheetah Nigeria Limited, Abeokuta, was shut down. Enforcement of the National Environmental (Protection of Endangered Species in International Trade) Regulations, 2011, led to the sealing of one facility -Solomon Kensington Agro Allied, Iperu-Remo in Ogun State. The operators failed to provide relevant environmental documents, install an effluent treatment Plant, and refused to provide the agency with a comprehensive list of animal species being kept,” the statement added.