Senate orders nationwide crackdown as lead poisoning spreads to Lagos

Story by Susan Mbamah 

The Nigerian Senate has ordered an immediate nationwide crackdown on sources of lead contamination following alarming reports of lead poisoning affecting communities along the Lagos – Ogun boundary.

The resolution followed a motion highlighting the situation in Ogijo, a densely populated community between Ikorodu in Lagos State and the Ogun East axis, where residents have reportedly suffered severe health complications linked to toxic emissions from used lead-acid battery recycling factories operating in the area.

Lawmakers described the development as a looming public-health disaster, warning that the level of environmental pollution posed grave danger to children, pregnant women and factory workers. Senators also expressed worry that unregulated recycling operations have continued to release hazardous fumes and waste materials into residential neighbourhoods.

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In response, the Senate directed relevant federal agencies to begin an urgent clean-up of affected communities, conduct soil and water testing, and carry out blood-level screening on residents to identify those already exposed to toxic lead levels. It also mandated emergency deployment of medical teams to provide treatment, including chelation therapy for severe cases.

The upper chamber further instructed regulatory bodies to clamp down on battery-recycling plants and other facilities suspected of unsafe operations, urging them to enforce strict environmental and industrial safety standards across the country.

Senate leaders emphasised that the crisis reflects a wider pattern of unchecked industrial pollution and called for closer collaboration between federal, state and local authorities to prevent further contamination.

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The directive comes amid growing concern from public-health experts about the long-term effects of lead exposure, which include organ damage, learning disabilities, neurological disorders and, in extreme cases, death. Lawmakers say Nigeria must act swiftly to avert a national health emergency.

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