FG seals three Ogun factories over unsafe conditions, rising deaths

2026-03-18 - 14:43

By Juliet Umeh The Federal Government on Wednesday sealed three factories in Ogijo, Ogun State, after inspections revealed serious violations of occupational safety standards that exposed workers to hazardous lead-related conditions. The affected firms are African Refractory and Allied Products, African Non-Ferrous Industries Limited, and Metalworld Recycling Limited. Vedanta Metal Industries Limited was spared after complying with earlier directives. The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, led the Occupational Safety and Health inspection, explaining that the action followed the companies’ failure to comply with a 90-day notice issued on December 9. “We gave them notification and caution. Our ministry staff had earlier inspected and told them clearly that what they were doing was wrong. Since December 9, they were asked to evacuate hazardous materials, but they did nothing,” Onyejeocha said. Describing the unsafe conditions, she added, “Workers were using bare hands to handle materials. They didn’t even want us to see what was going on inside. These things are not supposed to be kept like this. We are practically swimming in dust here.” The Minister lamented the apparent disregard for human life, noting, “The truth is they don’t care about people’s lives. People are dying and the numbers are increasing daily, many unaccounted for. Some deaths never get reported.” She cited cases of over 30 deaths in a few months in one facility, over 20 in another, and a recent report of a young boy who died. On sanctions, Onyejeocha warned that stiffer penalties would follow. “All these actions come with sanctions under the law. Going forward, there will be consequences. When people lose their lives, such factories risk losing their licences. Nothing short of that,” she said. She emphasized that companies must obtain proper approvals before changing operations. “You don’t just wake up and switch from lead to aluminium. You must apply, be inspected, and certified. There are standards and manuals guiding every process.” Addressing claims of conflict between federal and state regulators, the Minister said, “There is no conflict. We must complement each other, but where there are infractions, we will act. No authority can override safety enforcement.” Onyejeocha also revealed that the government is reviewing the Occupational Safety and Health bill to strengthen penalties. “If existing sanctions are not commensurate with the offences, we will increase them. We cannot continue like this. No country grows by neglecting safety. Life is important, and health is wealth,” she said.