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From Idu Jude, Abuja
The Director-General of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Prof. Innocent Barikor, has issued a stern warning to battery recycling operators in Ogun State, threatening to revoke their licenses if they fail to comply with remediation protocols in Ogijo community.
Barikor, speaking on Monday during a meeting with recyclers whose facilities were sealed in a recent enforcement exercise, said the era of unchecked pollution was over.
Nine facilities in Ogijo, operating in the battery recycling sector, had earlier been sealed by NESREA for widespread environmental infractions. These included poor slag management, manual battery breaking, uncontrolled lead dust emissions, and failure to conduct health surveillance for workers.
“The enforcement action was taken as a necessary first step to safeguard lives and restore environmental integrity. Facilities will remain sealed until verifiable corrective actions are taken,” Barikor said.
He stressed that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to protecting public health and the environment, warning operators that “time is running out for errant facilities.”
“What we have at present is anarchic and not sustainable. This is your opportunity to reset, to demonstrate responsibility and to bring your facilities into full compliance. NESREA has shown patience in the past, but that window is closing,” he declared.
On remediation, the DG said the evacuation of toxic slag from Ogijo is now an emergency, insisting that “polluter pays” remains the guiding principle. “The operators must bear the cost of removal. You are to sign an undertaking to the agreed compliance protocol, process necessary documents, and register with the Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) for the sector,” he added.
He also directed the operators to address facility-specific concerns, comply with penalties for indiscriminate dumping, and begin transitioning to cleaner technologies.
Backing NESREA’s stance, the Director of Hazardous Materials Management and Environmental Safety at the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA), Lawal Babatunde, accused the companies of flouting state guidelines on safe slag evacuation.
The meeting was also attended by the Executive Secretary of the Alliance for Responsible Battery Recycling (ARBR), Mrs. Miranda Amachree, along with sector operators.
