The Federal Government has closed two factories in Ogun State over what it called serious safety violations.
The affected companies are True Metals Nigeria Limited and Phoenix Steel Mills Limited, both located along the Ikorodu–Sagamu industrial belt.
The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, ordered the shutdown on Monday during an unannounced inspection. She was joined by the Director of Occupational Safety and Health, Florence Owie, and officials from the OSH departments in Lagos and Ogun.
At True Metals, a battery recycling plant, the minister said she was disturbed by the unsafe and unhealthy conditions she saw. She said workers were exposed to open lead fumes, had no proper sanitation, and worked without the required automated safety systems even after earlier warnings.
She told the management that no employer had the right to put workers at risk. She said, “That you are giving people jobs does not mean you should endanger their lives. There is no value you can place on any life. Every Nigerian deserves a safe workplace.”
The minister sealed the factory and said it would remain closed until it complies fully with safety regulations.
At Phoenix Steel Mills, Onyejeocha could not even access the production area because the internal roads were too bad to pass. She noted areas filled with stagnant water and no proper drainage, calling the situation a breach of the Factory Act and clear proof of neglect.
She said, “If the roads inside a factory are not fit for anyone to use, then what is happening inside the factory itself is a bigger concern.” The plant was shut until necessary repairs are made and a new inspection is carried out.
Speaking with reporters after the exercise, Onyejeocha said many factories still treat Nigerian workers poorly, paying very low wages while exposing them to danger. She warned that such practices would no longer be tolerated.
She said, “In many places, workers are treated like they do not matter. You pay them three or four thousand naira a day and still expose them to harm. That time has passed.”
She said the ministry would continue inspections and clamp down on any company that refuses to follow safety rules.
“We will keep inspecting, and if we find you breaking the rules, we will seal your factory. If you follow the rules, you create more room for investment. If you don’t, you will not operate,” she said.
Onyejeocha stressed that workplace safety was compulsory and that both skilled and unskilled workers deserve fair treatment and dignity. She added, “We cannot create jobs that put lives at risk. Under the Renewed Hope Agenda, every worker matters.”
