OGUN UNVEILS OGIJO LEAD POISONING REPORT, WARNS POLLUTING FACTORIES

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By ‘Balogun Ibrahim

The Ogun State Government has released a lead poisoning assessment report on Ogijo and neighbouring communities, warning that industrial facilities identified as sources of pollution could be shut down to safeguard public health.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abeokuta during a press briefing to mark the 2026 International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week and unveil the Ogun State Lead Poisoning Assessment Report.

Coker said the report was prepared by the state Ministry of Health in collaboration with other ministries, departments and agencies, as well as implementing partners, to provide evidence for public health planning and interventions against lead contamination.

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She emphasised that the findings must lead to practical measures to prevent further exposure, strengthen environmental health surveillance and protect residents, particularly children, pregnant women and industrial workers.

“Today, we are not merely commemorating a global health campaign. We are also reaffirming the commitment of Ogun State Government to evidence-based action, environmental health protection, community engagement, and prevention and control of lead exposure across the state,” the commissioner said.

According to her, suspected lead contamination in Ogijo and surrounding communities has highlighted the need for a coordinated public health response involving government agencies, industrial operators and community stakeholders.

She said the situation required sustained collaboration among the health sector, environmental authorities, waste management agencies, occupational health services, industries, community leaders and other relevant stakeholders.

Coker noted that the government’s response must extend beyond identifying cases of lead exposure to investigating possible contamination sources, providing accurate risk information and encouraging residents to seek appropriate medical attention.

She described the assessment report as a significant step towards strengthening evidence-based interventions and ensuring that findings from investigations inform decisions aimed at protecting affected communities.

The commissioner, however, stressed that publishing the report was only the beginning, adding that its success would depend on the implementation of its recommendations.

Coker said the theme of the 2026 commemoration, “From Detection to Prevention,” underscored the need to move beyond identifying lead exposure to preventing further contamination and reducing health risks for current and future generations.

Reaffirming the state government’s commitment, she said it would continue to pursue evidence-based interventions and strengthen collaboration among relevant stakeholders to improve public health protection.

Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, said suspected lead pollution in Ogijo had prompted investigations involving environmental and health experts, whose findings were compared to strengthen the assessment.

Oresanya said the findings pointed to suspected contamination linked to industries involved in lead recycling. He added that the environmental component of the report incorporated research conducted by experts from several institutions.

He disclosed that the state government had activated its clean air agenda to improve environmental monitoring in industrial zones and track lead and other potentially hazardous pollutants.

According to him, air quality monitoring devices had been deployed in industrial areas, particularly around Ogijo, to provide continuous data on environmental conditions and help authorities identify potential threats.

He added that the government was collaborating with relevant agencies and community-based frontline responders to detect unusual environmental changes and report them for prompt investigation.

Oresanya further disclosed that the state had activated a remediation protocol in partnership with the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) to address pollution in accordance with applicable standards.

The commissioner warned that industrial facilities found to pose pollution risks could be shut down, stressing that the government would combine early detection, regulatory enforcement and remediation to protect residents.

Also speaking, the state coordinator of NESREA, Lanre Jimoh, said cleanup and remediation efforts in Ogijo had brought the area close to normalcy following the suspected lead contamination.

Jimoh said the newly developed action plan would complement existing NESREA regulations on battery control and strengthen efforts to reduce harmful pollutants generated by industrial activities.

In November 2025, the Ogun State Government announced the closure of seven factories involved in lead-acid battery recycling along the Ogijo axis over concerns about possible lead poisoning.

The government also conducted lead poisoning tests on 500 residents to determine the extent of exposure in the affected communities.