The federal government, through the Ministry of Environment, has embarked on a nationwide initiative to manage the disposal of small-sized waste batteries.
The move is to check the hazardous contamination of soil, water and food caused by the improper disposal and informal, unregulated recycling of small batteries.
This initiative was introduced and announced by the Minister of Environment, Mr Balarabe Abbas Lawal in a statement issued in Abuja.
Mr Lawal explained that the receptacles was specially designed to collection bins placed in public spaces to safely gather small-sized waste batteries like AA and AAA batteries commonly used in remote control devices for TV sets, airconditioners, button cell batteries found in wristwatches, calculators, hearing aids, car key fobs, and medical instruments, as well as cellphone batteries.
He stated further that the introduction of special receptacles is to prevent batteries from ending up in regular trash bins where they can leak toxic metals into soil, water and food.
Mr Lawal described the initiative as decisive intervention to close long-standing gap in Nigeria’s waste management system, noting that, unlike larger car batteries, small batteries are often ignored because they carry little or no economic value for informal recyclers.
The new battery management scheme introduces a centralised system for the collection, storage and recycling of used batteries, with designated receptacles to be deployed across markets, schools, offices and public spaces in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as a pilot phase before nationwide expansion.
The initiative was implemented in partnership with the Alliance for Responsible Battery Recycling (ARBR) as part of the federal government efforts to enforce Nigeria’s National Policy on Waste and Battery Management which was introduced in 2022, and aligns with global efforts to combat lead exposure, which has gained increased attention at international forums, including recent deliberations at the United Nations.
Mr Lawal charged enforcement agencies to step up compliance monitoring, signaling a tougher stance on environmental violations by the government, even as the ministry pushes for stricter legislation, given Nigeria’s weak legal framework on environmental protection compared to countries where stringent laws and penalties drive compliance.
The Minister added that,
“We cannot continue to rely on policies without implementing and enforcement offenders. There must be laws with real consequences to change behaviour.”
Reporting By Abiola Peters