By Faridat Salifu
Residents of Ogijo, a community in Ogun State, South West Nigeria, will soon enjoy a breath of fresh air as the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) and its partners roll out plans to evacuate hazardous slag left behind by battery recycling operations.
The exercise was the focus of a stakeholder engagement meeting on Thursday, where regulators, state officials, and industry representatives mapped out a strategy for removing used lead-acid battery (ULAB) slag, a toxic by-product of smelting that contains iron and lead oxides along with harmful impurities.
NESREA Director General, Prof. Innocent Barikor, warned that Ogijo had become a hotspot for unregulated dumping, exposing residents—especially children—to severe health risks.
He noted that the evacuation aligns with the newly operationalized National Environmental (Battery Control) Regulations 2024 and is part of a wider framework to sanitize Nigeria’s battery recycling sector.
“The goal is not just to clear Ogijo,” Barikor said. “We are working to protect vulnerable communities across the country, enforce compliance, and accelerate Nigeria’s transition to a circular economy.”
The programme will be guided by a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that sets out responsibilities for collection, transportation, treatment, and safe disposal of slag, ensuring both people and the environment are protected.
Ogun State Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, described the initiative as a communal effort that also explores innovative technologies to convert hazardous slag into usable materials, reducing waste and promoting circular economy principles.
He disclosed that the state had already begun implementing standardized procedures for accredited waste collectors handling slag, signaling a move toward tighter oversight of recycling facilities.
The meeting, supported by GIZ Nigeria, brought together community leaders, the Federal Ministry of Environment, the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA), the Alliance for Responsible Battery Recycling (ARBR), Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADeV), and representatives of battery recycling plants operating in Ogijo.
For a community long burdened by pollution, the cleanup plan marks the beginning of what stakeholders hope will be a safer and healthier environment.
