Nigeria has joined the global campaign against lead poisoning, aimed at safeguarding the lives of vulnerable groups and marginalised communities.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, pledged Nigeria’s commitment at an exhibition during the Lead-Free Future event.
The event was organised by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) at the sidelines of the on-going United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
This is made known in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, on Friday, September 27, 2024, in Abuja.
Alake revealed plans to procure additional equipment for detecting lead in communities plagued by lead poisoning in order to address the situation.
He advocated for greater awareness of the threats posed to individuals involved in the mining of gold and other minerals to ensure that necessary actions were taken.
He emphasised that cleaning up lead from communities could restore child and maternal health.
According to the minister, the need to incorporate lead reduction measures in the process of local value addition is being championed by the ministry.
Workers in industries like mining, battery recycling, construction, or painting can be exposed to lead among other sources.
Lead poisoning can contribute or cause neurological disorders, kidney and heart diseases and reproductive challenges among others.
The global alliance to eliminate lead is a voluntary partnership formed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) to prevent exposure to lead through promoting the phase-out of paints containing lead.
The Lead Paint Alliance is guided by an Advisory Council chaired by the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and consisting of Government representatives from Colombia, Republic of Moldova, Kenya and Thailand, among others.
By Martha Agas
