The Nigerian government has closed down two factories in Ogun State due to serious violations of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) regulations.
The factories in question, True Metals Nigeria Limited and Phoenix Steel Mills Limited, are situated along the Ikorodu-Sagamu industrial corridor.
This decision was announced in a statement on Tuesday, following an unannounced inspection carried out on Monday by the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha.
She was joined by the Director of Occupational Safety and Health, Mrs. Florence Owie, along with OSH officials from both Lagos and Ogun states.
Onyejeocha stated that the government, under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, will not accept employers who jeopardize the safety of workers while claiming to create jobs.
During her visit to True Metals Nigeria Limited, a battery recycling facility, the minister expressed her dismay at the hazardous and degrading working conditions.
Reports indicated that workers were exposed to unprotected lead emissions, operated without essential automation equipment, and were deprived of adequate sanitation facilities despite previous warnings.