Environment
NESREA cracks down on polluters – seals 29 facilities in Ogun, Ekiti, Osun
Written By: Udo Inobeme
19 Sep 2025 05:11 AM
Ogijo, Ogun – In a bold move to safeguard public health and the environment, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has sealed 29 facilities across Nigeria's Southwest region for flagrant violations of environmental laws.
The high-stakes enforcement operation, led by NESREA's Director-General Prof. Innocent Barikor, targeted polluting industries in Ogun, Ekiti, and Osun States, underscoring the agency's zero-tolerance stance on eco-harmful practices.
The raids, which unfolded over the past week, zeroed in on nine lube and battery recycling plants in Ogijo, Ogun State—a community long plagued by toxic emissions and hazardous waste dumping.
Residents had repeatedly raised alarms over air pollution, contaminated water sources, and health risks from slag and chemical runoff, prompting NESREA's intervention.
"This is a promise fulfilled to the people of Ogijo," Prof. Barikor declared during the operation, emphasizing that the facilities' refusal to upgrade to eco-friendly technologies breached the National Environmental (Battery Control) Regulations 2024.
NESREA's inspections revealed a litany of infractions, including:
Failure to Adopt Best Available Technology: Recycling firms operated outdated systems spewing pollutants, ignoring multiple warnings from federal and state environmental bodies, NGOs, and international partners.
Hazardous Waste Mismanagement: Inadequate plans for handling slag, batteries, and other toxic byproducts, posing "a big threat to the health of residents and the environment," according to Barikor.
Broader Sector Crackdown: Beyond recycling, 20 additional sites fell under the axe, including:
One motor vehicle assembly facility in Abeokuta, Ogun State (Icheetah Nigeria Limited), for violating the National Environmental (Motor Vehicle and Miscellaneous Assembly) Regulations 2011.
One agro-allied operation in Iperu-Remo, Ogun State (Solomon Kensington Agro Allied), breaching protections for endangered species under the 2011 regulations.
Ten construction and quarry sites across the region, sealed for lacking mandatory Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and contravening the National Environmental (Construction Sector) Regulations 2011.
The affected recycling outfits include heavy hitters like Vedanta Metal Industries Limited, Metal Manufacturing Nigeria Limited, African Non-Ferrous Limited, True Metals Nigeria Limited, BPL Nigeria Limited, Hanushi Manufacturing Limited, and Pristine Elt—names synonymous with the area's industrial boom but now synonymous with regulatory defiance.
Local communities erupted in cautious celebration as NESREA officials slapped seals on factory gates.
"We've been breathing poison for years—kids getting sick, rivers turning black. Finally, someone's listening," said Aisha Adebayo, a mother of three from Ogijo, whose home sits mere meters from one sealed plant.
Environmental activists hailed the action as a "watershed moment," but warned that enforcement must extend beyond seals to ensure long-term remediation.
Prof. Barikor, speaking to reporters amid the din of halted machinery, was unyielding: "NESREA will no longer tolerate non-compliance. Our duty to Nigerians is a solemn responsibility—facilities that refuse to obey the law will face the consequences."
He reiterated the agency's mandate under the NESREA Act to enforce compliance with national and international environmental treaties, vowing nationwide sweeps to deter future violators.
The sealed facilities now face steep fines, mandatory audits, and orders to install effluent treatment plants and sustainable waste protocols before reopening. NESREA has issued a framework for corrective actions, with timelines as short as 30 days for some offenders, as non-compliance could mean permanent shutdowns.
This is not NESREA's first rodeo—earlier this year, the agency shuttered 25 facilities nationwide in June and 14 in the Federal Capital Territory in July for similar lapses.
Yet, with Nigeria grappling with rapid industrialization and climate pressures, experts say these actions signal a tougher regulatory era under Barikor's leadership.
As the sun sets on Ogijo's silenced smokestacks, one thing is clear: Nigeria's environmental watchdog is barking louder—and biting harder. Will the polluters clean up their act, or will more seals follow?
The high-stakes enforcement operation, led by NESREA's Director-General Prof. Innocent Barikor, targeted polluting industries in Ogun, Ekiti, and Osun States, underscoring the agency's zero-tolerance stance on eco-harmful practices.
The raids, which unfolded over the past week, zeroed in on nine lube and battery recycling plants in Ogijo, Ogun State—a community long plagued by toxic emissions and hazardous waste dumping.
Residents had repeatedly raised alarms over air pollution, contaminated water sources, and health risks from slag and chemical runoff, prompting NESREA's intervention.
"This is a promise fulfilled to the people of Ogijo," Prof. Barikor declared during the operation, emphasizing that the facilities' refusal to upgrade to eco-friendly technologies breached the National Environmental (Battery Control) Regulations 2024.
NESREA's inspections revealed a litany of infractions, including:
Failure to Adopt Best Available Technology: Recycling firms operated outdated systems spewing pollutants, ignoring multiple warnings from federal and state environmental bodies, NGOs, and international partners.
Hazardous Waste Mismanagement: Inadequate plans for handling slag, batteries, and other toxic byproducts, posing "a big threat to the health of residents and the environment," according to Barikor.
Broader Sector Crackdown: Beyond recycling, 20 additional sites fell under the axe, including:
One motor vehicle assembly facility in Abeokuta, Ogun State (Icheetah Nigeria Limited), for violating the National Environmental (Motor Vehicle and Miscellaneous Assembly) Regulations 2011.
One agro-allied operation in Iperu-Remo, Ogun State (Solomon Kensington Agro Allied), breaching protections for endangered species under the 2011 regulations.
Ten construction and quarry sites across the region, sealed for lacking mandatory Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and contravening the National Environmental (Construction Sector) Regulations 2011.
The affected recycling outfits include heavy hitters like Vedanta Metal Industries Limited, Metal Manufacturing Nigeria Limited, African Non-Ferrous Limited, True Metals Nigeria Limited, BPL Nigeria Limited, Hanushi Manufacturing Limited, and Pristine Elt—names synonymous with the area's industrial boom but now synonymous with regulatory defiance.
Local communities erupted in cautious celebration as NESREA officials slapped seals on factory gates.
"We've been breathing poison for years—kids getting sick, rivers turning black. Finally, someone's listening," said Aisha Adebayo, a mother of three from Ogijo, whose home sits mere meters from one sealed plant.
Environmental activists hailed the action as a "watershed moment," but warned that enforcement must extend beyond seals to ensure long-term remediation.
Prof. Barikor, speaking to reporters amid the din of halted machinery, was unyielding: "NESREA will no longer tolerate non-compliance. Our duty to Nigerians is a solemn responsibility—facilities that refuse to obey the law will face the consequences."
He reiterated the agency's mandate under the NESREA Act to enforce compliance with national and international environmental treaties, vowing nationwide sweeps to deter future violators.
The sealed facilities now face steep fines, mandatory audits, and orders to install effluent treatment plants and sustainable waste protocols before reopening. NESREA has issued a framework for corrective actions, with timelines as short as 30 days for some offenders, as non-compliance could mean permanent shutdowns.
This is not NESREA's first rodeo—earlier this year, the agency shuttered 25 facilities nationwide in June and 14 in the Federal Capital Territory in July for similar lapses.
Yet, with Nigeria grappling with rapid industrialization and climate pressures, experts say these actions signal a tougher regulatory era under Barikor's leadership.
As the sun sets on Ogijo's silenced smokestacks, one thing is clear: Nigeria's environmental watchdog is barking louder—and biting harder. Will the polluters clean up their act, or will more seals follow?
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