NESREA, NGO seek safer alternatives to use of lead in paint products

The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has expressed commitment to eliminate lead from paint products in the country.

Lead and lead compounds have been used and found in products such as paint, ceramics, pipes and plumbing materials, gasoline, batteries, ammunition and cosmetics.

NAN reports that NESREA and Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADev Nigeria), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), organised a lead awareness workshop in Abuja on Thursday.

The workshop, “Strengthening national capacity towards elimination of lead paint in Nigeria”, is part of the lead exposure elimination project.

The partnership also seeks to find safer alternatives to the use of lead in paints.

Aliyu Jauro, director-general of NESREA, said lead is a highly toxic substance that poses severe health risks, especially to children.

He said exposure to the substance could result in irreversible neurological damage, developmental disorders, and other health complications.

Jauro said the workshop was organised to raise awareness on the dangers of leaded paints, as well as safer alternatives and reformulation methods for SMEs across the country.

“Our mandate encompasses a wide range of activities, including the regulation of chemicals, waste, pollution control, and environmental impact assessment, among others,” he said.

“We are gathered here to address a pressing issue that directly affects the health and well-being of everybody, the elimination of lead paint.”

The director-general said NESREA had recently reviewed the national environmental (chemicals and pesticides) regulations 2023.

“These regulations take into account emerging environmental concerns, including the presence of lead in paint,” he said.

“By doing so, we aim to strengthen the legal framework governing the production, importation, distribution, and use of paint in Nigeria.

“It is crucial to acknowledge that eliminating lead from paint is not only possible but also imperative for a healthier and more sustainable future.

“NESREA and SRADev Nigeria Lead Exposure Elimination Project is fully committed to supporting all participants in this workshop in their journey towards achieving this goal.”

On her part, Spanny Embiemu, NESREA’s head of food and chemicals, said lead can cause harm to the body after being ingested.

She said ingesting the substance could cause a rise in temperature, kidney damage and miscarriages in women.

Embiemu listed zirconium, metallic zinc, cobalt, and metallic calcium as alternatives to the use of lead in paint products.

She added that titanium dioxide has also been found to be a cleaner alternative.