The Senate has begun an investigation into the widespread and scientifically confirmed lead poisoning crisis affecting Ogijo, a crowded community situated on the Ogun–Lagos border.
Responding to rising concerns, the Senate summoned the Ministers of Environment, Health, Solid Minerals, Labour and Employment, as well as the Director General of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, to appear before its Committee on Environment and Solid Minerals for a full update on the situation.
According to the Senate, the health emergency is linked to several lead-acid battery recycling factories, which have created a major public health disaster. Children, women, and factory workers are reportedly suffering serious, long-term health issues due to prolonged exposure to toxic emissions.
The Senate has ordered an immediate medical response and environmental cleanup, approving a series of urgent measures.
It also called on the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention to deploy emergency medical teams to provide free toxicology tests, blood-lead screening, chelation therapy, and long-term care for affected residents.
In addition, the Senate instructed the Federal Ministry of Environment and NESREA to carry out comprehensive environmental remediation, including mapping contamination in soil, groundwater, air, and household dust.
The lawmakers also proposed the establishment of a National Lead Poisoning Response and Remediation Office under the National Emergency Management Agency to coordinate clean-up efforts, medical treatment, monitoring, and global tracking of exported lead.
The Senate directed its Committee on Legislative Compliance to ensure full execution of these resolutions within six weeks.
These decisions followed a motion sponsored by Senator Adetokunbo Abiru (Lagos East) and Senator Gbenga Daniel (Ogun East), who warned that Ogijo is now facing “an environmental catastrophe of global significance,” with contamination levels reportedly reaching up to 186 times above internationally accepted safety limits.
While presenting the motion, Senator Abiru expressed alarm over reports of long-standing symptoms among residents — including persistent headaches, abdominal pain, seizures, memory loss, and cognitive decline — all strongly linked to chronic lead exposure, which had gone unaddressed for years.
After the debate, Senate President Godswill Akpabio ordered the Committee on Legislative Compliance to track implementation and report back within two months.
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