Lagos Safety Commission Seals Chemical Factories Over Alleged Safety Infractions
The Lagos State Safety Commission has sealed off several chemical factories and shops in the Ojota area of the state for allegedly violating safety and environmental regulations.
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.
In a statement on Sunday, 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.
According to the Commission, 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.
Part of the agreements also include; 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) and 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. This left the Commission with no option but to seal the facilities in order to safeguard lives and property”, said Mojola.
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 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.
