Femi Idowu-Adegoke (FIA)

Nigeria is moving to end the long-standing economic drain caused by exporting raw materials cheaply and buying back finished goods at painful costs. At a national sensitization in Abuja, the Federal Government declared that the proposed 30% value-addition bill will be the turning point that forces local processing, protects jobs, strengthens industries, and finally stops the nation from losing value it can and should create at home.

OGUN SEEKS TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF LEAD INGOT EXPORTS, SHUTS SEVEN RECYCLING PLANTS The Ogun State Government has called for an immediate, temporary suspension of lead ingot exportation pending a full investigation into alleged lead contamination in the Ogijo area of Sagamu Local Government. This position followed an on-the-spot inspection in Ogijo after a viral video raised concerns about possible lead poisoning in the community. The Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, led a combined team of experts from the Ministries of Environment and Health, the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA), and the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA). During the visit, the government ordered the closure of seven industries involved in Used Lead-Acid Battery recycling within the Ogijo axis. Oresanya assured residents that there is no cause for panic, noting that the state will immediately commence a comprehensive Health and Process Audit of the affected facilities. This will include testing for lead levels in humans, soil, air, and water sources across the industrial community. He added that the government will make the findings public once the investigation is completed, while also reviewing the methodology used in the earlier test results circulated in the media.