Nigeria, Foreign Partners Rally Against Hazardous Pesticides In Nigeria

Federal Ministry of Environment successful a task sponsored by the Centre for Pesticide Suicide Prevention (CPSP), University of Edinburgh is collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration (NAFDAC) to fortify chemic information arsenic good arsenic signifier retired highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs) successful Nigeria.

On behalf of the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Environment, the director, Department of Pollution Control and Environmental Health, Engr. Dr. Bahijjahtu Abubakar successful her opening remarks astatine the Inception Workshop of the Project yesterday successful Abuja said the store aims to rise consciousness astir the dangers of HHPs, sermon strategies for improved decision-making, and make effectual poisoning prevention measures.

Dr. Abubakar said the taxable of the store is “Addressing highly hazardous pesticides liable for poisoning and decease successful Nigeria for improved (informed) decision-making and effectual poisoning prevention.” He besides elaborated that poisoning done Pesticides is simply a large objective and nationalist wellness occupation successful cultivation communities particularly successful debased and middle-income countries (LMICs). She added that poisoning done pesticides tin hap done intentional, accidental, oregon occupational exposures.

She said efforts to code HHP-related issues successful Nigeria are gradually gaining momentum arsenic authorities bodies are implementing measures specified arsenic nationalist engagement, training, and regulatory adjustments to fortify chemic safety.

While emphasizing that this task was developed arsenic portion of the steps to instrumentality the Global Framework connected Chemicals (GFC) successful Nigeria, she revealed that its people is that by 2035, stakeholders should person taken effectual measures to signifier retired Highly Hazardous Pesticides successful Agriculture wherever she explained, the risks person not been managed considering the availability of safer and affordable alternatives.

“There is an urgent request for argumentation frameworks, stricter regulations, capableness building, and nationalist consciousness to signifier retired HHPs and beforehand safer alternatives. Bio-pesticides and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices should besides beryllium explored arsenic sustainable solutions. This task volition guarantee that the fig of pesticide poisoning and termination deaths successful Nigeria are substantially reduced,“ she said.

In his remark, the Head of Global Strategy astatine the CPSP, Edinburgh University, Prof Keith Tyrell said they are successful the state to cod accusation connected the standard of pesticide poisoning successful Nigeria adding that their gathering volition see to springiness accusation for the ministries and pesticide regulators successful bid to instrumentality enactment and tackle what helium described arsenic a mostly hidden occupation successful Nigeria.

Professor Tyrell who disquieted that astir 150,000 radical dice each twelvemonth from pesticide suicides and astir 300 cardinal radical are poisoned, possibly not fatally, but from pesticides annually, besides revealed that their purpose successful Nigeria volition impact to assistance successful identifying which pesticides are progressive successful astir poisonings arsenic good arsenic place safer alternatives.

“So what this task volition bash is we‘ll effort to place which pesticides are progressive successful astir poisonings successful the state and past place safer alternatives truthful that we tin extremity this problem. So what Nigeria tin expect is much information, much information to assistance recognize who‘s being poisoned, what they‘re being poisoned by, and that accusation volition beryllium truly utile for the government, truthful that the authorities tin past say, okay, what is this pesticide being utilized for? Is it truly critical? Can we find a safer alternative? And past prohibition the occupation pesticide”, helium said,