Nigerian Investigation into Lead Poisoning Nominated for Global Awards

A joint investigation by PREMIUM TIMES, The Examination, The New York Times, and Truth Reporting Post into lead poisoning from battery recycling in Nigeria has made it to the finals of two categories in the 2026 Online Journalism Awards.

The investigation is a finalist for the Al Neuharth Innovation in Investigative Journalism Award, Large Newsroom, and Excellence in Collaboration and Partnerships.

In the large newsroom investigative journalism category, it faces competition from Reuters, Bloomberg News, and others.

For the collaboration and partnerships category, it competes against projects from NBC News Digital and Forbidden Stories.

The Online Journalism Awards are global digital journalism awards given by the Online News Association. They recognise digital excellence and innovation from newsrooms worldwide, including those outside the U.S.

The investigative journalism category looks at original reporting, public interest, creative use of digital platforms, and the impact of the journalism.

Investigation Uncovered Lead Poisoning in Ogijo

The joint investigation looked into the health and environmental effects of lead-acid battery recycling in parts of Africa. PREMIUM TIMES reported in detail from Ogijo, a community in Ogun State where many battery recycling factories operate.

The reporting showed that residents and workers near these factories had been exposed to high levels of lead pollution.

As part of the investigation, blood and environmental tests were done for people living and working around the recycling sites.

Seventy people volunteered for blood tests. Seven out of ten had harmful lead levels. Every worker tested was found to have been poisoned, according to the investigation.

More than half of the children tested also had lead levels that could cause lasting brain damage.

Soil and dust samples from around the factories showed serious contamination. Some samples had lead concentrations way above what is considered dangerous. Over 20,000 people are estimated to live within a mile of the factories.

PREMIUM TIMES published its Nigerian investigation in two parts. The first report, “Lead In Their Blood: How Battery Recyclers Are Poisoning Nigerians” detailed the health risks to residents and workers in Ogijo.

The second part, “Poor oversight, regulatory failure expose Nigerians to slow death from battery recycling,” looked into the failures of regulatory bodies and why these dangerous operations were allowed to continue.

The investigation also traced Nigerian recycled lead to international buyers and the global automotive industry.

The overall project found that recycled lead from Nigerian factories was entering international supply chains used for car batteries.

The report revealed that one American battery manufacturer, East Penn Manufacturing, had been buying Nigerian lead through the global trading company Trafigura. After the reporting, the company announced it would stop importing Nigerian lead and increase scrutiny of its purchases.

Response & Recognition

The reporting also led to actions by Nigerian authorities.

After the publication, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) shut down battery recycling plants in Ogijo due to environmental issues.

The Ogun State Government also announced plans for lead testing among residents in response to the findings.

The House of Representatives called for an investigation into lead poisoning in Ogijo and demanded an emergency response.

The Ogun and Lagos State Governments began a joint investigation into the pollution problem. The Ogun government also moved to stop lead exports and shut down affected battery recycling plants.

Nigerian authorities also closed factories tied to the U.S. automotive industry during the lead poisoning investigation.

The reporting project has been recognised for its depth and impact, winning the major prize as PREMIUM TIMES’ standout report of 2025.

It has also received other international recognition, especially in the U.S.

The project won the Selden Ring Award for Investigative Reporting from USC Annenberg and the John B. Oakes Award for environmental journalism.

The project also won the Edward R. Murrow Awards for Investigative Reporting (Large Digital Organization) and Best Video/Documentary about international affairs from the Overseas Press Club. It also won the Scripps Howard Journalism Awards, receiving both the Impact Award and the Excellence in Environmental Reporting award.