Senate raises alarm over lead poisoning crisis in Lagos, Ogun

* Summons Ministers of Environment, Health, Solid Minerals, Labour and Employment, and the NESREA DG

By Henry Umoru

ABUJA- THE Senate has begun a holistic probe into the widespread and scientifically verified lead-poisoning disaster” ravaging Ogijo, a densely populated community straddling the Ikorodu area of Lagos and the Ogun East Senatorial District.

Raising an alarm over the incident, the Senate has summoned the Ministers of Environment, Health, Solid Minerals, Labour and Employment, and the Director General of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, NESREA to appear before the Senate Committee on Environment and Solid Minerals to give an update on the situation.

According to the Senate, the situation has linked to multiple used lead-acid battery recycling factories, has evolved into a full-blown public health emergency, with children, women and factory workers facing life-altering health consequences after years of exposure to toxic emissions.

The Senate has ordered an emergency medical response and environmental remediation to contain the crisis by approving sweeping measures, including.

The Upper Chamber has called for the deployment of emergency medical teams by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) for free toxicology screening, blood-lead testing, chelation therapy and long-term treatment for victims.

It has called for a comprehensive environmental remediation by the Federal Ministry of Environment and the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) to map soil, groundwater, air and household dust contamination.

The Senate has said that there should be strict nationwide enforcement of battery recycling and lead-processing standards by the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and emergency relief and temporary relocation for severely affected families through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

The Senate has called for the creation of a National Lead Poisoning Response and Remediation office within NEMA to coordinate clean-up, medical treatment, monitoring, and global traceability of exported lead.

It has mandated its Senate Committee on Legislative Compliance was also directed to ensure full implementation of all resolutions within six weeks.

Resolutions of the Senate yesterday were sequel to a motion, sponsored by Senator Mukhail Adetokunbo Abiru, APC – Lagos East and Senator Gbenga Daniel, APC, Ogun East, just as they warned that Ogijo is now confronting “an environmental catastrophe of global significance,” with contamination levels reaching up to 186 times the internationally accepted safety limits.

In his presentation, Senator Abiru expressed shock over reports of persistent headaches, abdominal pain, seizures, memory loss and cognitive decline,symptoms strongly associated with long-term lead exposure, reported by residents for years without effective intervention.

He also cited independent investigations by The Examination and The New York Times, which confirmed severe poisoning through blood tests and toxic soil sampling.

According to Abiru, processed lead from Ogijo had entered global supply chains feeding major automobile manufacturers, illustrating how contaminated Nigerian lead was exported while local communities inhaled toxic fumes.

He said, “Children are dying slowly. Families have lived for years under poisonous smoke and dust,”

Calling for immediate federal intervention, he said that the Senate has noted the recent action of the Federal Government through the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, who shut down seven recycling factories and temporarily suspended the export of lead ingots from the industrial cluster.

But he insisted the action, though commendable, was only the first step, as several operators deny wrongdoing, regulatory enforcement remains weak, and exposure in the community continues to be “extreme and unacceptable.”

While acknowledging early interventions by the Lagos and Ogun State Governments, Abiru stressed that the Constitution mandates the State to protect citizens’ health and ensure a safe environment.

“This is not just an environmental issue; it is a constitutional duty,” Senator Abiru said. “The lives and futures of children in Ogijo must not be traded for toxic profits.”

Abiru, who warned that rising global demand for recycled lead, combined with weak local enforcement, has transformed Nigerian communities into “sacrifice zones,” where toxic industries operate with impunity, with Ogijo now at the centre of international scrutiny.

Senator Saliu Mustapha, APC, Kwara Central seconded the motion.

In his contribution, Senator Shuaib Salisu, APC, Ogun Central, who commended the state government for testing residents of the affected community and providing medical intervention for the victims, urged the government to pay greater attention to border communities, particularly regarding issues that affect their well-being.

On his part, Senator, Babangida Hussaini, APC, Jigawa North-West, called on the federal government and its agencies to extend monitoring and intervention efforts to other parts of the country facing similar challenges, in order to protect Nigerians from industrial hazards.

In his response, the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio who referenced a similar case in his community in Akwa Ibom, where lead poisoning had caused the deaths of several people, said, “A lot of communities have suffered and died from here. We had a battery industry in my place in the 1980s. And then suddenly we recorded a lot of deaths from the small river, because these things were just seeping into the river, it was very close to the river, and people were drinking from that same river, taking their baths from there and all sorts of things.

“And eventually, life expectancy in that community was not up to 40 years. So, of course, you know, in a rural community, people did not know that this was from lead poisoning.”

Akpabio who commended the Senator for raising the issue in the Senate and bringing it to the attention of lawmakers for legislative intervention, said, “Thank you, for this all-important motion, this touches on the lives of Nigerians, and what you are doing, by bringing this to the fore, and bringing this to the attention of all Nigerians, you are not only projecting the injurious aspect of lead operations because this is dangerous to life,” he added.

The President of the Senate thereafter put the motion to a vote, and the majority of the senators supported it through voice votes.

After the debate, Akpabio directed the Committee on Legislative Compliance to monitor compliance and report back to the Senate within two months.

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