The Ogun State Government has taken decisive regulatory action, suspending three environmental consultancy firms for alleged professional failures linked to pollution from closed battery recycling companies.
Firms Fail to Meet Environmental Standards
In a statement released on 22 December 2025, the State Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, announced the suspension. The action stems from a Process Audit of closed Used Lead-Acid Battery (ULAB) recycling companies located in the Ogijo area.
Oresanya explained that the three consultancy firms, which were attached to the ULAB companies, were found grossly deficient in their duties. "They fell short of environmental law standards during the review," the commissioner stated. Their primary failure was a regulatory lapse in reporting the true situation of the firms to the state authorities.
Negligence and Absence from Review
The commissioner detailed specific violations that demonstrated clear professional negligence. The firms failed to ensure the installation of mandatory pollution abatement devices at the facilities they were monitoring. This negligence has significant environmental implications, especially for sensitive local ecosystems.
Oresanya revealed that five consultancy firms involved in the audit were summoned to defend their reports. While two firms attended and gave explanations—which were not entirely satisfactory but granted them a chance to improve—the three now-suspended firms deliberately absented themselves from the crucial meeting.
"The three suspended firms, however, deliberately absented themselves from the review meeting, knowing well that they were complicit," Oresanya noted.
Accountability and Health Protection
The Commissioner confirmed that the Federal Ministry of Environment and the National Environmental Standards and Enforcement Agency (NESREA) have been formally notified of the state's decision to suspend the firms.
He emphasized that the suspension is a necessary step for public health protection and to ensure accountability in environmental management across Ogun State. This move signals the government's commitment to enforcing environmental laws and holding all actors, including third-party consultants, responsible for their roles in preventing environmental pollution.
