The Federal Government has announced that any facility that uses or produces batteries and violates the battery control regulations in Nigeria will pay N2m as a fine, adding that its officials risk a six-month jail term.

This was made known through the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency in Abuja on Thursday, September 5, 2024, at the launching of the National Environmental (Battery Control) Regulations for Civil Society and Press.

The Director-General of NESREA, Innocent Barikor said the use of batteries is now an alternative energy source due to the rising cost of fossil fuel.

He stated, “Hence there is an urgent need to regulate the hodgepodge of batteries that will be happening in the battery industry.

“There are penalties and one of such is the fact that for corporate organisations, you have as high as, not less than N2m, but it can be more than that for violation of the environment as it relates to the battery and improper disposal of battery. And for individuals, you have as much as N200,000, not below N200,000, and even a jail term can follow.

“These are just the little and the most highlights we can give in this. When we put this on our website, I know that Nigerians will have the responsibility to read through it.

"The regulation also gives Nigerians the specific responsibility as citizens to say what they see, particularly when it comes to the dumping of batteries in public spaces, water, air, and land.”