The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), in conjunction with the Ogun State Government, has wielded the big stick by sealing errant, defaulting companies, this time in Ogijo, a suburb in Ogun State.
By Clemnt Ebaku, reporting from Lagos, Nigeria
The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), in collaboration with the Ogun State Ministry of Environment, sealed off recycling facilities in the Ogijo community in Ogun State on Thursday.
The sealing follows the failure of the operators to comply with the provisions of the National Environmental (Battery Control) Regulations 2024 and the Protocol developed by NESREA to ensure environmentally sound management of used lead acid batteries and safeguard the health of residents and the environment.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Agency’s Assistant Director of Press, Nwamaka Ejiofor, and cited by our reporters in Abuja.
She said in the statement that under the protocol, the facilities are committed to managing ULAB slag and base metal residue in a safe, environmentally sound, and socially responsible manner, and also prioritize staff health and safety, including an annual blood lead testing and provision of Personal Protective Equipment.
Furthermore, she stated that the recyclers, as part of their duty to the host community and environmental responsibility, are to conduct annual environmental impact audits on surrounding communities, transition to cleaner recycling technologies, and participate in pilot projects for slag reuse for bricks and cement raw materials.
In addition, she explained that NESREA, in collaboration with Ogun State government and other partners under the Project for Responsible Battery and Metal Recycling (PROBAMET), had carried out extensive assessment and sensitization of the operators in the sector on international best practices in the recycling sector.
