Due to significant violations of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) rules, the Federal Government has ordered the shutdown of two companies in Ogun State.
The impacted establishments, Phoenix Steel Mills Limited and True Metals Nigeria Limited, are situated along the Ikorodu-Sagamu industrial corridor.
The announcement was made in a statement on Tuesday after Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, the Minister of State for Labor and Employment, undertook an impromptu inspection on Monday.
OSH representatives from Lagos and Ogun states, as well as Mrs. Florence Owie, the Director of Occupational Safety and Health, accompanied her.
According to Onyejeocha, employers who put workers in risk under the guise of creating jobs would not be tolerated by the government under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The minister was shocked by the hazardous and deteriorating working conditions at True Metals Nigeria Limited, a battery recycling facility.
Despite earlier warnings, workers reportedly operated without required automation equipment, were exposed to unprotected lead emissions, and lacked access to adequate sanitation.
“The availability of jobs does not excuse endangering people’s lives. We cannot claim to be generating jobs while putting people’s lives in peril. According to Onyejeocha, every Nigerian worker should have a respectable and safe workplace.
The factory was sealed right away until it satisfied all OSH regulations.
Internal routes of Phoenix Steel Mills Limited were blocked, preventing the minister from accessing the manufacturing floor.
Additionally, she saw inadequate drainage and standing water, which she described as flagrant violations of the Factory Act and a disdain for worker safety.
In a similar manner, the facility was sealed while remedial actions and a follow-up inspection were taken.
Speaking to reporters, Onyejeocha emphasized that mistreatment and dehumanization of Nigerian workers would not be accepted and threatened strict and ongoing enforcement.
Too many factories treat their employees like animals, pay them pitiful wages, and put them in hazardous situations. She declared, “That era is over.
She went on to say that while non-compliant firms run the possibility of closure, factories that adhere to safety requirements would draw investment.
Rules pertaining to occupational safety and health are unchangeable. Every worker—male or female, talented or unskilled—deserves respect, just compensation, and safety. Onyejeocha stated that “the economy cannot be used as an excuse to endanger lives.”
Under the Renewed Hope Agenda, the minister reiterated the government’s commitment to safeguarding workers’ lives and guaranteeing humane treatment in every industry.
