Contravention: Lagos Safety Commission shuts chemical factories over safety infractions.

 

By Kayode Olopade 

The Lagos State Safety Commission on Thursday sealed off several chemical factories and shops in the Ojota area of the state for violating safety and environmental regulations.

The enforcement exercise, carried out in the early hours of the day, followed contraventions of the Lagos State Safety Commission Law of 2011. Officials of the Commission, led by its Director-General, Mr. Lanre Mojola, said the affected facilities were shut after operators failed to comply with agreed safety measures despite repeated warnings and a grace period.

Mojola disclosed that officials of the Commission had earlier inspected the factories and held a series of meetings with executives of the chemical dealers, during which a letter of undertaking was signed on May 9, 2025. At the meeting, the operators agreed to implement a range of safety measures, including:

Conducting a comprehensive safety audit of the market;

Organising workshops on hazard identification and risk evaluation;

Providing serviced and accessible fire extinguishers in all shops;

Maintaining an up-to-date inventory of chemicals, including expiry dates;

Ensuring full compliance with personal protective equipment (PPE) use;

Installing clear safety signage, chemical labels, and Safety Data Sheets (SDS);

Developing a disaster management and business continuity plan.

“Despite the expiration of the ultimatum, the chemical dealers failed to act on the agreement reached with the Commission,” Mojola said. “This left the Commission with no option but to seal the facilities in order to safeguard lives and property.”

He stressed that the sealed facilities would remain under lock until full compliance is achieved, warning that the Commission would not compromise on enforcing safety standards. Mojola also urged manufacturers and business operators across Lagos to adopt proactive safety measures to avoid similar sanctions.

In recent years, the Lagos State Safety Commission has intensified surveillance and enforcement activities to curb unsafe practices in factories, markets, and other high-risk facilities, in line with the state government’s commitment to public safety and disaster prevention.