ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY PLANS NATIONAL POLICY ON USED BATTERIES

The Federal Ministry of Environment says it is working with Deutche Gesellschat fur Intertionale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) to develop a policy on used batteries in the country.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Environment, Mr. Abel Olumuyiwa-Enitan made the disclosure at the Awareness Raising Workshop on the Development of National Policy for Sound Management of Used Batteries in Nigeria organized by the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, NESREA

Mr. Olumuyiwa-Enitan who was represented by the Federal Controller of the  Ministry, Mrs. O.O   Agbenla said the intervention became necessary to ensure batteries at the end of their life are handled in a sustainable and environmentally sound manner.

He said,” The wastes generated from these sectors are huge and carelessly handled or disposed by the informal recyclers or unregulated sectors leading to environmental and health hazards.”

He added that Nigeria, being a party to the Basel Convention on Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Waste and their disposal, was committed and will ensure that hazardous wastes, which include used batteries are handled in a manner that will safeguard human health and the environment.

 Also speaking in the same vein, the Director General of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, NESREA Prof. Aliyu Jauro noted that the increasing demand for batteries would translate to gradual buildup of the waste.

“The growth is expected to surge further in the future with the global inclination towards electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies as countries strive to meet-up with their climate commitments,” he said.

Prof Jauro explained that efforts are on to tap the gains of used batteries in a sustainable manner, saying, “lead acid batteries are valuable resources at their end-of-life, as most of the components form raw materials for the manufacture of new ones.”