Approximately 10 a.m. on a bright Friday, September 17, around 30 people from Ogijo, a large industrial area within Sagamu LGA, located at t...
Approximately 10 a.m. on a bright Friday, September 17, around 30 people from Ogijo, a large industrial area within Sagamu LGA, located at the boundary of Lagos and Ogun State, assembled at the Ogijo Health Centre to retrieve the outcomes of their Blood Lead Level (BLL) tests. With the sun shining moderately, they arrived at the local health center, some accompanied by their children. A sense of anxiety hung in the air as the residents gathered in small groups, speaking quietly about their uncertain future.
Several months prior, in July, their blood samples were collected to detect any presence of lead via BLL, which stands for blood lead level, indicating the amount of lead in a person's blood, measured in micrograms per decilitre (image.png), in order to evaluate exposure to lead and associated health dangers. Now, the findings would show if the dust and smoke released by lead recycling businesses in the Ogijo area had contaminated them.
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A 53-year-old man named Thomas Ede, along with his three children, all younger than 11, was part of the 70 Ogijo residents who had their blood samples collected for testing. Mr. Ede, who is a single parent, resides just 500 meters away from True Metals Nigeria Limited, one of the companies involved in recycling used batteries for lead export in Ogijo.
For more than 15 years, Mr Ede considered the Ogijo community his home, well before True Metals started its activities in the area. However, around ten years ago, when the company initiated its operations, he noticed thick black smoke from the factory's stacks drifting through the air and settling on all surfaces daily—rooftops, crops, clothing, and even cooking utensils. Recently, he has started to worry that the pollution from True Metals and other nearby factories has entered the bodies of his family members.
A tour of Ogijo highlights the fragility of its environment, evident in the air's odor. By day, the atmosphere seems dense, as though each breath brings a layer of dust. At night, locals claim the smoke irritates their throats and leaves a harsh taste that remains until the following morning. These recycling plants, which were once signs of employment opportunities and community development, have turned into forces of subtle devastation, contaminating the soil, air, and inhabitants of Ogijo.
At the local health clinic, deep lines of concern were visible on Mr. Ede's face as he sat among a small group of people, waiting for his turn to be summoned.
Many hours later, his name was called, and his greatest worries were confirmed. He and all three of his children have traces of lead in their blood. However, the result that devastated him was that of his oldest child, an 11-year-old named Freeman, whose blood contained a dangerously high level of lead at 28.47 micrograms per decilitre, more than five times the safe limit set by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
I am deeply concerned," Mr. Ede said to PREMIUM TIMES during an interview at his home, a single-room apartment. "I am aware that significant harm has been inflicted on his body due to the high concentration of lead in his bloodstream.
"He has experienced various symptoms, including frequent episodes of malaria and typhoid, along with a swollen abdomen. His stomach is constantly enlarged, regardless of how little he consumes," Mr Ede mentioned. Medical professionals who have encountered lead poisoning state that a "swollen abdomen" may develop when the liver and digestive system are under strain, which is a typical issue in children exposed to heavy metals.
After his wife departed him because of money problems, Mr. Ede has been taking care of his three children by himself. He works as a farm laborer, making only enough to have food to eat.
Much of his earnings is used for the rent of their modest, one-room apartment and for ensuring Freeman and his siblings can continue their education. When the blood test results revealed dangerously high levels of lead, it felt like another setback, a reminder that merely surviving in Ogijo has its price.
Lead, a harmful heavy metal, is emitted into the environment through unregulated battery recycling processes. Burning or melting used batteries leads to pollution of the nearby soil, air, and water.
Fine lead dust, produced as a result, is carried by the wind and settles on household surfaces. When inhaled or swallowed, particularly by children, it enters the bloodstream and builds up in organs like the brain, liver, and kidneys.
As per the World Health Organisation (WHO), there is no safe amount of lead exposure. Levels of lead in the blood exceeding 5 µg/dL and lead content in soil surpassing 400 mg/kg are seen as dangerous, but numerous affected communities often go far beyond these thresholds.
Even more concerning, research has associated lead exposure with reduced IQ, challenges in learning, and behavioral issues. A 2020 report from UNICEF and Pure Earth revealed that children with blood lead levels as low as five micrograms per decilitre scored up to five points lower on intelligence tests compared to those not exposed, indicating that there is no safe level of lead exposure.
Regrettably, Freeman's blood is not the only one affected by lead poisoning.
Science of poisoning
To comprehend the situation affecting Freeman and many other families, The Examination, a non-profit newsroom focused on investigating global health threats, collaborated with PREMIUM TIMES, Joy FM, Pambazuko, and Truth Reporting Post to conduct an investigation and commission an independent scientific study. This study measured lead levels in the soil as well as in the blood of workers and residents in the Ogijo community. The results of the investigation reveal extensive lead poisoning among both people and the environment in Ogijo.
From April to June, experts in environmental health gathered blood samples, nasal swabs, and soil specimens to assess the extent of lead pollution. A total of 70 individuals, comprising children, adults, and factory employees, were examined for their blood lead levels (BLL).
Independent laboratory analyses of blood samples from Ogijo residents and factory employees indicate extensive and hazardous exposure to lead. A report by the Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADev Nigeria), an environmental health non-profit organization, showed that the average blood-lead level among factory workers was approximately 20 micrograms per decilitre (µg/dL), four times the World Health Organization's benchmark of 5 µg/dL. All workers were affected, with some having levels as high as 38 µg/dL.
Children, who are most at risk for lead poisoning, also displayed concerning outcomes. Their average level was approximately 12 µg/dL, with almost three-quarters of the children tested surpassing the WHO recommendation. The blood of 11-year-old Freeman had more than five times the safe maximum level.
In addition to other adult residents not employed in the factories, their lead levels averaged approximately 9 µg/dL, almost twice the WHO standard. For reference, control samples taken from people living outside the affected area showed minimal contamination, with results under 0.2 µg/dL.
In basic terms, individuals residing and working in Ogijo have a level of lead that is 190 times higher than those in areas not affected.
The ground under their feet in Ogijo was equally dangerous. 46 environmental samples collected from 30 sites, including soil, non-soil, and dust tests in areas where families reside, work, and children spend time, showed concerning levels of lead pollution. The most alarming finding was from an elementary school, where soil samples had 1,901 parts per million (ppm) of lead, nearly five times the US Environmental Protection Agency's safety threshold for play areas.
Findings also indicated that approximately 80 percent of dust and slag samples collected from homes and public areas surpassed global safety limits. Dust found in a hotel room adjacent to Everest Metal, a leading company involved in Used Lead-Acid Batteries (ULABs) in Ogijo, had a concentration of 18,647 ppm.
Researchers also noted a connection between being near the factories and experiencing symptoms like abdominal pain, tiredness, and difficulty focusing. The SRADev Nigeria report also indicated that typical ways of exposure are breathing in airborne lead particles, drinking contaminated water, eating polluted food, and consuming contaminated soil or dust.
Residents recount their pain
For Sikirat Odufeso, living in Ogijo has turned into a daily battle against sickness and fatigue. Her blood lead level is 17 µg/dL, over three times the World Health Organisation's recommended threshold.
"I've been extremely anxious since I received my results," she said.
Mrs. Odufeso, who lives next to True Metals, mentioned that the company originally used a smaller area of land located several meters away from her home. However, during an expansion phase, the company purchased land from her previous neighbors. As a result, what was once a close-knit community has now become a source of concern due to the daily emissions from the lead recycling plant, causing ongoing health issues for her.
It was once only our neighbors, but now it's just smoke. Each day, the odor and fumes seep into the house. We can't open the windows anymore.
Her health slowly started to deteriorate, she said, her voice reflecting both pain and anger. According to Mrs Odufeso's echocardiogram—a ultrasound examination that evaluates the heart's structure and performance—conducted at the Federal Medical Centre in Abeokuta, Ogun State, and Babcock University Teaching Hospital, she has global systolic dysfunction and moderate pulmonary hypertension, indicating that her heart's capacity to pump blood is compromised and the pressure in her lung arteries is unusually elevated.
These symptoms, including tiredness, shortness of breath, and edema, align with the lasting consequences of harmful exposure from smelting facilities.
The dust is obstructing my chest," she said. "I constantly feel exhausted. I am unable to walk for long distances.
Mrs. Odufeso mentioned that she has invested more than N3 million in medical care, yet her condition remains unresolved.
The nights, she mentioned, are the most difficult. "When the factories begin working, everything becomes dark. The smoke gets denser. It wakes me up at night, and by morning, all the tiles and the floor are covered in soot."
As Mrs. Odufeso struggles with her declining health, Mary Mike, a former cook at True Metals, endures a more profound sorrow.
Her voice shook as she described how her husband, who was also employed at the same company, perished in a furnace repair incident at a different lead recycling plant in October 2024.
Even though the company provided N8 million as compensation, Mrs. Mike mentioned that she only received N1.5 million, with the remaining amount taken by her husband's relatives.
Shortly after the funeral, she was reportedly let go by True Metals for being absent from work for an extended period. Now a widow and the only source of income, she faces difficulties in providing for her children.
She spoke with resentment, 'The supervisors don't enforce any safety regulations. The protective equipment is seized by the supervisors themselves. We require assistance. If you aren't perishing in a fire at the company, you're succumbing to smoke exposure at home.'
Children suffer too
An 11-year-old named Freeman is not the only child with concerning levels of lead in their blood, according to findings that indicate eight of the 14 children tested have lead poisoning exceeding 5 µg/dl.
A five-year-old named Sunday and an eight-year-old named John have BLLs of 15.006 and 24.623 micrograms per decilitre, respectively. Their mother, 49-year-old Oluwasola Bayonle (not a real name), lived 500 meters away from True Metals.
Mrs. Bayonle remembers times when smoke and dust heavily covered the houses. She thinks the effects of this followed her through the most sensitive periods of her life. While pregnant, she experienced labor for three days. She mentioned that the water coming from her had an unusual odor.
Later, doctors told her that harmful substances, which they identified as lead, had entered her body. Her son was born after only seven months and four days. Mrs Bayonle stated that medical professionals informed her that the early delivery was connected to the environment she was living in.
"They claimed the location was completely unsafe," she remembered.
Her concerns were not over. Her children often experience stomach aches and headaches, with little help from medicine. When the family had tests done, she mentioned that medical staff informed her the symptoms matched those of lead exposure.
"They mentioned that it's the lead responsible for my stomach pains and headaches," she stated.
The emotional burden remains significant. On certain nights, the recollections of her pregnancy, the dust, and the medical documents resurface with great intensity.
Once I recall all the details, I can't sleep," she said. "I went through a lot when I gave birth to my son.
Environmental risks at Everest Metal Nigeria Limited, where she was employed as a cleaner, also affected her due to the fumes. Her designated room, shared with other employees, was located next to the furnace, allowing smoke to seep through cracks in the walls.
She washed toilets, drew water, and made N100,000 per month, yet the ongoing illness took a toll on her.
"It wasn't a minor illness; on certain days, I felt completely drained. Every part of my body ached," she mentioned.
Mrs. Bayonle's BLL test results validated her concerns, with a reading of 31.0589 micrograms per decilitre, the highest among all the women tested in Ogijo. Her children, Sunday and John, ranked second and fourth respectively among the children tested.
Even today, despite being further away, she is concerned about the lasting impact on her children.
Joshua Ojo, a health physics and environment professor at Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, stated that pregnant and nursing women in affected areas are the most susceptible group, as they frequently transfer lead to their infants either during pregnancy or via breastfeeding.
"The instances of long-term, low-level internal exposure in our vulnerable infants are common and continuously happening. It is impacting millions of our children, greatly reducing the quality of their lives, and ultimately, our country's potential for growth," he stated.
Schools and students are not excluded
In 2010, Adeyombo Adesoji founded his school in the Ogijo community with the intention of offering hope to young people through excellent education. Unfortunately, this objective has been hindered by the dangers of smoke and chemical dust from nearby lead-recycling factories that enter his classrooms. At Fountain of the Lord's Glory Secondary School, where Mr. Adesoji's institution is located, over 300 students attempt to study beneath a gray, polluted sky.
When we first arrived here, the number of companies was small and they primarily dealt with iron," he said. "However, over the years, lead-recycling factories started to emerge. Once they begin operating, you feel uneasy. The smoke, the odor—it's suffocating.
"The students constantly express dissatisfaction. Many of them reside in this area, so they have become accustomed to it, yet it is not typical," he stated.
Approximately ten years back, in 2015, the community reached a breaking point. Given that his school had a significant number of students, locals requested Mr Adesoji to allow the children to participate in a demonstration to highlight the pollution issue.
All of us carried signs, including students, parents, and everyone else. We also invited officials from the State Ministry of Environment; they arrived, observed the water, and saw everything we presented, and we believed that something would finally improve.
But it didn't.
From what we've heard, the officials took bribes," he said, shrugging. "But this is Nigeria, such things are common.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
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