Environmental advocates have raised alarm over rising air pollution in the Ogijo area of Ogun State, warning that residents are being exposed to dangerous emissions from recycling plants and steel refineries operating in the community.
At a presentation in Lagos on Monday, the Green Knowledge Foundation (GKF), in partnership with Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADeV Nigeria), revealed findings from an air quality monitoring project which showed particulate matter levels in Ogijo consistently reaching 500–600 micrograms per cubic meter more than ten times the World Health Organisation’s safe limit.
“This is a public health crisis unfolding in real time. Families are breathing poisoned air every day, and yet many don’t even know the silent dangers they are exposed to,” said GKF’s Executive Director, Weyinmi Okotie, who described the situation as “devastating and heartbreaking.”
The group called on the Federal Government and the Ogun State Government to immediately declare an environmental state of emergency in Ogijo, stressing that the health of residents is at serious risk.
Medical experts at the event warned that prolonged exposure to such high pollution levels could lead to severe health problems, including premature deaths, heart disease, asthma, lung cancer, strokes, and even low birth weights. Dr. Babatunde Oladimeji, who shared the study’s findings, noted that women and children are especially vulnerable.
SRADeV Nigeria’s Executive Director, Dr. Leslie Adogame, described Ogijo as an “environmental hotspot” and insisted that the crisis had gone beyond a local concern, becoming a national emergency. “Air quality readings between 500 and 600 micrograms per cubic meter far above WHO’s safe limit of 15 show a community in crisis,” he said.
Speakers at the forum also linked the situation to this year’s International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, themed “Racing for Air,” reminding government authorities that clean air, like water, is a basic human right.
GKF’s Communications Coordinator, Collins Azuike, highlighted the broader danger, stating that pollution does not remain confined to Ogijo but spreads to neighbouring communities, including Lagos. He warned that Nigeria records over 198,000 premature deaths annually due to poor air quality, adding that the lack of proper monitoring systems worsens the crisis.
“The people of Ogijo deserve to breathe clean air. Industrial activities must not continue to poison women, children, and families while companies profit,” Okotie said, urging urgent intervention to save lives.
