Assessment of Environmental Management Practices in Nigerian Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Companies

This study assesses the environmental management practices of pharmaceutical manufacturing companies in Nigeria, examining effluent quality, air emission management, pharmaceutical waste disposal, and environmental governance systems at selected facilities in Lagos and Ogun States. Pharmaceutical manufacturing generates complex wastewater containing active pharmaceutical ingredients, organic solvents, and process chemicals that are highly resistant to conventional biological treatment and can cause aquatic toxicity and antibiotic resistance at very low concentrations. An environmental management assessment was conducted at five pharmaceutical manufacturing plants in the Sagamu and Agbara industrial corridors using a structured compliance checklist and analytical sampling programme. Effluent samples were analysed for conventional parameters as well as selected pharmaceutical compound concentrations using high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Air emissions from solvent storage and reaction vessels were assessed using perimeter fence-line monitoring. Environmental management system documentation and NESREA compliance records were reviewed. Results show that conventional effluent parameters including biological oxygen demand and total suspended solids are within discharge standards in three of five plants. However, pharmaceutical compound residues are detected in treated effluents from all assessed plants at concentrations that may affect aquatic ecosystems. Solvent vapour emissions are inadequately controlled at two facilities. Pharmaceutical solid waste disposal is to general industrial waste contractors in three cases, without confirmed pharmaceutical destruction capacity. Recommendations include installing advanced oxidation or activated carbon polishing treatment and establishing a pharmaceutical waste sector consortium for controlled high-temperature incineration. Keywords: pharmaceutical manufacturing, effluent treatment, pharmaceutical residues, environmental management, Nigeria.