Nigeria Govt pledges to enforce battery recycling laws amidst health, environmental concerns

The federal government of Nigeria has reiterated its commitment to the enforcement of regulatory laws governing battery recycling in the country.

This is in response to the increasing incidence of improper disposal and unsafe recycling associated with Used Lead-Acid Batteries (ULABs) in the country.

Nigeria’s Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, said this while delivering his remarks on Tuesday at the International Conference on Upgrading the Lead-Acid Battery Recycling Sector in the African Region, held in Abuja.

Mr Lawal who was represented by the Director of Pollution Control and Environmental Health, Bahijjahtu Abubakar, stated that unsafe handling of batteries pose significant risks to both human health and the environment across Nigeria and the broader African continent.

“We are committed to supporting the necessary enforcement mechanisms to achieve the implementation and enforcement of the National Environmental (Battery Control) Regulations, 2024,” the minister said.

The conference was organised by the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), an agency under the Federal Ministry of Environment in collaboration with Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADeV) on behalf of Oeko-Institut Germany.

The two-day programme held on Tuesday and Wednesday, focused on upgrading the lead-acid battery recycling sector in the African region under the auspices of the Partnership for Responsible Battery and Metal Recycling (PROBAMET) Project.

According to the organisers, the event was a major milestone in the ongoing efforts to improve the management of ULABs and promote sound recycling practices in Nigeria and across Africa.

Risks

The Minister explained that as Africa experiences rapid economic growth and increasing demand for energy storage solutions, the improper disposal and unsafe recycling of ULABs across the continent pose significant risks to human health and the environment.

He said exposure to lead, particularly in informal recycling operations, has been linked to severe neurological and cardiovascular complications especially among children and vulnerable populations.

“Improper collection, recycling and disposal

of used lead-acid batteries (ULABs), are major sources of hazardous substances such as lead, cadmium and sulphuric acid that are constantly contaminating our soil, water and air,” the official said.

Mr Lawal said the Nigerian government fully recognised the dangers of improper management of used lead-acid batteries and that proactive steps have been adopted to regulate and modernise the lead-acid battery recycling sector in the country.

“We have recently launched National Environmental (Battery Control) Regulation 2024, and set stringent guidelines for the collection, transportation, processing and disposal of lead-acid batteries,” the minister said.

He stated that field assessments of ULAB recycling facilities have provided critical insights on the level of compliance with the regulations as well as exposed illegal and environmentally harmful operations in Nigeria.

“At this juncture, I would like to urge all stakeholders to prioritise investments in formal recycling facilities that adopt cleaner production technologies and circular economy approaches,” Mr Lawal noted.

While emphasising on the need for regional collaboration and harmonious management approaches, the Minister said his ministry will support NESREA and other relevant agencies to intensify monitoring efforts, ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and apply strict penalties for non-compliance.

Recommendations

Amidst these plethora of concerns, the Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Environment, Terseer Ugbor, said to curb the menace of lead poisoning and other risks associated with battery recycling, Nigeria must adopt a multi-stakeholder and multidisciplinary approach.

This, the lawmaker said, will foster collaboration and the sharing of knowledge, best practices and resources across borders to ensure quantifiable progress for the entire continent.

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“We must invest in research and development, technology and innovation, capacity building and manpower development,” he said.

The Lawmaker said his committee has proposed the repeal and reenactment of the Environmental Impact Assessment Act to become the Environmental, Social and Health Impact Assessment Act, to be more responsive to emerging industrial challenges like the battery recycling risks.

Mr Ugbor said Nigeria should grant concessions to battery recycling companies in the country to import batteries so that Nigeria will be the hub for battery recycling and manufacturing in Africa.

“I call for a lifting of the ban on imports of used batteries into Nigeria to support the local battery recycling facilities who have met the environmental standards but cannot find enough batteries to recycle,” he said.