The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), in collaboration with the Ogun State Ministry of Environment, on Thursday sealed several recycling facilities in Ogijo, Ogun State, over persistent violations of Nigeria’s environmental regulations.
The enforcement followed the operators’ failure to comply with the National Environmental (Battery Control) Regulations 2024 and NESREA’s protocol for the environmentally sound management of used lead-acid batteries (ULABs). The protocol mandates safe handling of ULAB slag and metal residues, annual blood lead testing for workers, provision of protective equipment, and community-focused environmental audits.
The facilities had also committed to adopting cleaner recycling technologies and participating in pilot projects for repurposing slag into construction materials such as bricks and cement additives. NESREA noted that the action followed extensive assessments and stakeholder sensitization conducted under the Project for Responsible Battery and Metal Recycling (PROBAMET).
In a related development, the agency on Wednesday sealed the Cornerstone facility operated by Istanbul Quarry in the Dutse area of Abuja after flying rocks from a blasting operation injured students and staff of Graceland High School and damaged school buildings and nearby shops.
NESREA spokesperson Nwamaka Ejiofor said investigations revealed that the incident occurred around 12:30 p.m. while students were writing examinations. A loud explosion was followed by rock fragments that tore into classrooms, injuring 11 students and two staff members.
Deputy Director of Conservation Monitoring, Glory Uboh, said the quarry’s operations violated the National Environmental (Quarrying and Blasting Operations) Regulations 2013.
“What happened is life-threatening, and that was why we moved in immediately to seal the facility,” Uboh said. “Our preliminary investigation shows clear breaches of quarry operating procedures. The facility will be sanctioned in line with the law.”
