This project documents how the auto industry’s recycled lead supply chain has been poisoning communities in Ogijo, Nigeria — Africa’s leading hub for battery recycling.
Photojournalist Finbarr O’Reilly traveled to smelting plants operating beside homes, schools, and even a church. Independent testing found harmful lead levels in seven of ten residents and in every worker tested, with over half of children examined at risk of permanent brain damage. The investigation traced the contamination to a global supply chain that reached Western automakers, including Ford, GM, and Tesla, despite known health and environmental risks.
© Copyright photo – Finbarr O’Reilly for The New York Times


