The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency has shut down an oil processing facility in Zaria, Kaduna State, following allegations of severe air pollution linked to its operations.
The affected facility, Sunseed Oil, was sealed after complaints and reports of persistent air emissions that allegedly violated Nigeria’s environmental standards.
The action was confirmed in a statement issued on Tuesday by NESREA’s Assistant Director of Press, Nwamaka Ejiofor.
According to the agency, the enforcement followed findings that the company failed to comply with the National Environmental (Air Quality Control) Regulations, which mandate industries to install pollution control equipment and adopt cleaner production processes.
“The level of emissions from the facility was found to be excessive and posed an immediate risk to the environment and the health of residents in surrounding communities,” the statement said.
“This necessitated the immediate closure of the facility to prevent further harm.”
NESREA explained that the action aligns with its statutory responsibility to protect public health and ensure that industrial operators comply with environmental laws governing air quality, effluent discharge and waste management.
Speaking on the development, the Director-General of NESREA, Prof. Innocent Barikor, warned industries against disregarding environmental regulations.
“Industrial operators must ensure full compliance with national environmental standards,” Barikor said.
“Any activity that endangers citizens’ health or degrades the environment will attract appropriate sanctions.”
The agency noted that excessive industrial air emissions remain a growing concern, particularly in areas where factories operate close to residential communities. Such emissions, NESREA said, are associated with respiratory diseases, environmental degradation and a decline in the quality of life.
Under existing regulations, industries are required to routinely monitor their emissions, install functional pollution abatement systems and ensure that discharges remain within approved limits. NESREA reiterated that failure to meet these requirements could result in penalties, including fines, facility closure and possible prosecution.
Established under the NESREA Act of 2007, the agency is mandated to enforce compliance with Nigeria’s environmental laws and relevant international environmental agreements.
In recent years, it has intensified enforcement actions against facilities found to be operating in breach of these regulations.
