By: Tijani Salako.

The newly appointed General Manager of the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA), Hon. Kehinde Bello, has led by example as he personally supervised an inspection tour of six Used Lead Acid Battery (ULAB) recycling facilities, ahead of the 72-hour shutdown directive earlier issued to nine similar plants across the state.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the Head of the Public Relations Unit of the agency, Mr. Luke Adebesin, noting that the visit forms part of OGEPA’s intensified efforts to enforce environmental standards and safeguard public health.

According to the statement, the shutdown directive, issued on November 24, is designed to facilitate a thorough health and process audit across the affected facilities. The audit aims to assess battery recycling procedures, evaluate worker safety conditions, and ensure that surrounding communities are not exposed to hazardous lead contamination.

Hon. Bello, who led the inspection team to facilities in Ogijo and along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, identified the companies visited as: African Non-Ferrous Industry Limited, Vendanta Metal Industries Limited, Metal Manufacturing Nigeria Limited, Hanushi Manufacturing Limited, BPL Limited, GBMT.
During the exercise, the GM inspected battery washing sections and other sensitive operational points, emphasizing the need to significantly reduce human exposure to lead acid.

“The mandate of OGEPA is to ensure a safe and healthy environment that is free from pollution; this we will ensure,” he affirmed.

Responding, the General Manager of BPL Limited, Mr. Ajibade Oluwabiyi, commended the Ogun State Government for its proactive intervention and pledged full cooperation to ensure the success of the audit process.

Meanwhile, during the inspection, the OGEPA enforcement team sealed the BS Factory in Ogijo for operating without proper government documentation and approval. The agency reaffirmed its commitment to intensifying monitoring and enforcement activities to uphold environmental safety and regulatory compliance across the state.