Ogun Conducts a Significant Health Audit, Tests 500 Residents for Lead Poisoning
In response to worries about potential lead exposure in the community, the Ogun State Government has started an independent and thorough health audit of Ogijo residents in Sagamu Local Government Area.
Recall that the state government announced in November of last year that seven lead-acid battery recycling factories on the state’s Ogijo axis had been closed because of potential lead poisoning.
In addition, the government declared that lead ingot exports would be temporarily halted while a thorough investigation into the community’s alleged lead contamination was conducted.
Following a viral video that sparked worries about potential lead poisoning, the Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Ola Oresanya, reportedly conducted an on-the-spot inspection of the community before making the decision.
To protect public health and rebuild public trust, the government also started regulatory reviews and environmental audits.
Following the completion of the collection of blood samples from more than 500 residents who were scientifically selected to determine their blood lead levels, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, announced in a statement on Monday that the health audit had begun during a stakeholders’ engagement at Ologijo’s Palace.
According to Dr. Coker, the community was in the public eye due to reports from certain international media outlets, which required a planned and organized government response.
“The Ministries of Health and Environment visited the communities shortly after the reports were released to ease concerns and lay out a clear monitoring, evaluation, and response framework,” she explained.
After businesses that were found to present possible risks were shut down, the Ministry of Environment moved forward with environmental audits and assessments.
“The health sector consciously chose to conduct its audits using a scientific methodology. To guarantee the validity, openness, and international recognition of the results, His Excellency Governor Dapo Abiodun ordered that the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research be hired to carry out the study on its own.
“We have made sure that NIMR is operating autonomously to produce objective findings, and after the report is received, the Governor will be presented with the relevant recommendations for any necessary action.”
“Using a stratified scientific methodology, NIMR began fieldwork in the community last week and has collected over 500 blood samples, covering individuals previously identified with elevated blood lead levels, pregnant women, lactating mothers, children, and other residents within the mapped areas of the community,” the commissioner continued.
Coker said the Ministry of Health would implement a monitoring protocol requiring periodic blood lead level testing for workers in the affected industries to ensure they are not exposed to health risks, even though it acknowledged that the Ministry of Environment had reopened some previously sealed facilities after compliance reviews.
She also reassured the locals and traditional leadership that the governor is still concerned about their well-being, adding that the government would keep interacting with the community and working together to create long-term solutions based on the findings of the scientific audit.
Prof. Oladipo Obafunwa, the NIMR’s Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, said in his remarks that the institute sent a qualified team to carry out the exercise in accordance with accepted scientific norms.
According to Prof. Obafunwa, the sampling procedure was meticulously planned to guarantee that vulnerable groups were represented and that laboratory analysis would be conducted with the utmost integrity, with results presented impartially.
Oba Kazeem Gbadamosi, the community’s traditional leader, responded on behalf of the locals and expressed gratitude to the state government for its prompt action and open communication with them. He pledged cooperation to the community, expressing confidence that the audit’s findings would give people clarity and comfort.
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