Environment
STAKEHOLDERS on Friday have advocated the total elimination of the use of lead in the manufacturing of paints in Nigeria.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the stakeholders said this at an event organised by the Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADev) and its partners in Lagos.
The workshop is titled: “Strengthening National Capacity Towards Elimination of Lead Paint in Nigeria.”
Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of SRADev, Dr Leslie Adogame, said the clamour for the elimination of lead from paint manufacturing resulted from its attendant health risks.
Adogame said that lead paint poses significant health risks, especially to children, including neurological damage and developmental delays.
According to him, efforts to eliminate lead paint are critical to safeguarding public health and ensuring a sustainable environment.
He added that strengthening national capacity involves implementing regulatory measures, enhancing public awareness, and fostering collaboration among stakeholders.
He said the technical committee component of the lead exposure elimination project had agreed that all paints manufactured in Nigeria going forward would carry “No Added Lead.”
He said the resolution would be a big win because anybody going to the market to buy paint should look for the paint with the label, “No added Lead.”
Adogame said that “the focus is Small and Medium Enterprises since they are the once who use all manners of additives, cutting corners in the paint manufacturing process.”
The executive director said that there should be a standard to be adopted in paints manufacturing, noting that buyers of paints should go for ‘No Added Lead’ on the paint label before purchase.
Also speaking, Mr Abimbolu Babatunde, the Chairman, Paints Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, advised informal paint manufacturers to desist from using lead additives in the process of paint manufacturing.
NAN reports that the workshop was organised by SRADev in partnership with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, and the Paints Manufacturers Association of Nigeria. (NAN)
F.A
June 16, 2024
Tags: Lead in Paints PMAN SRADev stakeholders
