Wednesday, November 26, 2025 - The Federal Government has ordered the closure of two factories in Ogun State for serious breaches of Occupational Safety and Health, OSH, regulations.
The affected facilities; True Metals Nigeria Limited and
Phoenix Steel Mills Limited, are located along the Ikorodu-Sagamu industrial
corridor.
The announcement came in a statement on Tuesday following an
unscheduled inspection conducted on Monday by the Minister of State for Labour
and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha.
She was accompanied by the Director of Occupational Safety
and Health, Mrs Florence Owie, and OSH officials from Lagos and Ogun states.
Onyejeocha said the government under President Bola Tinubu’s
Renewed Hope Agenda will not tolerate employers who endanger workers under the
pretext of creating jobs.
At True Metals Nigeria Limited, a battery recycling plant,
the minister expressed shock over unsafe and degrading working conditions.
Workers were reportedly exposed to unprotected lead
emissions, operated without mandatory automation equipment, and lacked access
to proper sanitation despite prior warnings.
“That jobs are provided does not justify putting lives at
risk,l. We cannot claim to be creating employment while endangering lives.
Every Nigerian worker deserves a safe and dignified work environment,”
Onyejeocha said.
The factory was immediately sealed until it meets all OSH
standards.
At Phoenix Steel Mills Limited, the minister was unable to
access the factory floor due to impassable internal roads.
She also observed stagnant water and inadequate drainage,
which she described as blatant violations of the Factory Act and a disregard
for worker safety.
The facility was similarly sealed pending corrective
measures and a follow-up inspection.
Addressing journalists, Onyejeocha warned that enforcement
would be rigorous and continuous, stressing that mistreatment and
dehumanisation of Nigerian workers would not be tolerated.
“In too many factories, workers are treated like they are
not human, paid minimal wages while being exposed to dangerous conditions. That
era is over,” she said.
She added that factories complying with safety regulations
would attract investment, while non-compliant operators risk closure.
“Occupational safety and health rules are non-negotiable.
Every worker; skilled, unskilled, male, female, deserves dignity, fair wages,
and protection. The economy cannot be used as an excuse to endanger lives,”
Onyejeocha said.
The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to
protecting workers’ lives and ensuring humane treatment across all sectors
under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
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