A collaborative investigation by PREMIUM TIMES and The Examination that exposed lead poisoning linked to battery recycling in Nigeria has been named among the five finalists for the prestigious African Investigative Journalist of the Year Award 2026.
The award, organised by the Wits Centre for Journalism and supported by Absa Africa, is in its fourth year and recognises outstanding investigative reporting across Africa that reveals untold stories, holds the powerful to account, questions those in public life and serves the public interest.
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The annual gala award ceremony will be held on 11 November in Nairobi, Kenya, during the 2026 African Investigative Journalism Conference (AIJC).
A record 204 entries were submitted from across the continent this year, with the quality of investigative reporting making the selection of finalists a challenging task for the judges, the organisers said in a statement on Friday.
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PREMIUM TIMES’ investigation was shortlisted alongside four other investigations: “Nine Lives: King Cat and His Tender Empire” by Jeff Wicks of News24, South Africa; “Your Eyes, Their Data” by Naipanoi Lepapa, in collaboration with Svenska Dagbladet and Göteborgs-Posten, Kenya; “The Corruption That Allows Liberia’s Human Traffickers to Stay Free to Exploit the Poorest Citizens” by Anthony Stephens of New Narratives/FrontPage Africa, Liberia; and “The Great Capture Train” by Graeme Hosken of the amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism, South Africa.
The 2026 judging panel features a distinguished lineup of seasoned African investigative journalists, including AIJC convener Beauregard Tromp (South Africa), press freedom advocate Gwen Lister (Namibia), Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maggie Michael (Egypt), media pioneer and editor-at-large of Zitamar News Fernando Lima (Mozambique), and veteran investigative journalist and trainer Hamadou Tidiane Sy (Senegal).
Investigation exposed lead poisoning in Ogijo
The investigation examined the health and environmental consequences of lead-acid battery recycling in parts of Africa, with PREMIUM TIMES reporting extensively from Ogijo, a community in Ogun State where several battery recycling factories operate.
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The report found that residents and workers around the factories had been exposed to dangerous levels of lead pollution.
To provide scientific evidence for the investigation, Mr Olawoyin and Ms Ogunrinde commissioned independent blood lead testing for 70 residents, along with soil and air quality sampling around battery recycling plants in Ogun State.
Of the 70 people who volunteered for blood tests, seven out of every 10 recorded harmful levels of lead, according to the investigation. Every worker tested was also found to have been poisoned.
More than half of the children tested had lead levels high enough to cause lifelong brain damage, the investigation reported.
Soil and dust samples collected around the factories also showed extensive contamination, with some recording lead concentrations far above levels generally regarded as hazardous.
The investigation estimated that more than 20,000 people lived 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,” documented the health risks faced by residents and workers in Ogijo.
The second, “Poor Oversight, Regulatory Failure Exposes Nigerians to Slow Death from Battery Recycling,” examined failures by regulatory authorities and the conditions that allowed the hazardous operations to continue.
The investigation also examined the international supply chain, tracing Nigerian recycled lead to overseas buyers and the global automotive industry.
The broader project found that recycled lead from Nigerian factories entered international supply chains used to produce car batteries.
The report captured how one American battery manufacturer, East Penn Manufacturing, had been buying Nigerian lead through the global trading company Trafigura. Following the reporting, the company said it would stop importing the Nigerian lead and introduce additional scrutiny of its lead purchases.
Impact & Recognitions
Following the publication, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) shut down battery recycling facilities in Ogijo over environmental concerns.
The Ogun State Government also announced measures in response to the findings, including plans for lead testing among residents.
The House of Representatives subsequently called for an investigation into the lead poisoning concerns in Ogijo and demanded an emergency response.
The state government and Lagos State Government also began a joint investigation into the pollution threat, while the Ogun government moved to suspend lead exports and shut affected battery recycling plants.
Nigerian authorities subsequently moved to close factories linked to the US automotive industry amid the lead poisoning investigation.
The reporting project has since been recognised for its depth and impact, winning the major prize as PREMIUM TIMES’ standout report of 2025.
The latest shortlist comes barely a week after the collaborative investigation was named a finalist in two categories of the 2026 Online Journalism Awards in the United States.
The Online Journalism Awards are international digital journalism prizes administered by the Online News Association, which honours digital excellence and innovation from newsrooms around the world, including international and non-U.S. media outlets.
The project has also received other international recognition, especially in the United States.
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 Organisation) and Best Video/Documentary about international affairs from the Overseas Press Club. It equally won the Scripps Howard Journalism Awards, receiving both the Impact Award and the Excellence in Environmental Reporting Award.
READ ALSO: PREMIUM TIMES, The Examination, other partners’ lead poisoning investigation named finalist in global journalism awards
In the Gerald Loeb Awards, it was named a finalist in the Video News category.
PREMIUM TIMES’ investigation was led by Oladeinde Olawoyin, the Business and Economy Editor of the newspaper, and Folashade Ogunrinde, an award-winning investigative reporter.
Mr Olawoyin, a multiple award-winning journalist, leads several projects at PREMIUM TIMES and mentors and supervises reporters. His reporting and research interests sit at the intersection of media framing and the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the future of work, especially in the informal economy in Nigeria, sub-Saharan Africa, and parts of the Global South.
Ms Ogunrinde is an award-winning investigative journalist recognised for her work in governance, accountability and inclusive development.
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