The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has shut down the Sunseed Oil processing facility in Zaria, Kaduna State, over alleged violations bordering on air pollution.
The action followed complaints of persistent air emissions from the facility, which were said to contravene provisions of the National Environmental (Air Quality Control) Regulations.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday by NESREA’s Assistant Director of Press, Nwamaka Ejiofor.
According to the agency, the enforcement exercise became necessary due to the intensity of the emissions, which reportedly posed an immediate risk to public health and the surrounding environment.
NESREA noted that the regulations require industries to install functional pollution control equipment and adopt cleaner production processes to minimise environmental harm.
The statement said the decision to seal the facility underscored the agency’s resolve to compel industrial compliance and shield communities from the dangers associated with unchecked industrial discharges.
It quoted the Director-General of NESREA, Prof. Innocent Barikor, as warning operators of industrial facilities to adhere strictly to national environmental standards, stressing that actions capable of endangering citizens’ health and degrading the environment would not be tolerated.
Air pollution from industrial activities has remained a growing concern, particularly in areas where factories are located close to residential neighbourhoods.
Experts have linked prolonged exposure to excessive emissions to respiratory ailments, environmental damage and a decline in quality of life.
Under existing regulations, industries are mandated to deploy pollution abatement equipment, embrace cleaner technologies and routinely monitor emissions to ensure compliance with approved limits.
NESREA has repeatedly cautioned that defaulters risk sanctions, including fines, closure of facilities and prosecution.
In recent years, the agency has stepped up enforcement across the country against firms found to be in breach of environmental laws governing air quality, effluent discharge and waste management, in line with its mandate under the NESREA Act of 2007.