NESREA advocates responsible battery recycling

The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) and experts have called for responsible battery recycling in the country. They resolved that recyclers should learn the best environmental practices and the best available technology, which will enable them to perform better in society.

The resolution was reached at a one-day workshop on Partnership for Responsible Battery and Metal Recycling (PROBAMET) organised by NESREA in collaboration with Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADeV Nigeria).

International partners include Oeko-institut e.V. Germany, Initiative for Global Solidarity (IGS) managed by the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), and WV Metalle Service GmbH and Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE).

The workshop, which was hosted by the Ogun State Ministry of Environment and financed by the Initiative for Global Solidarity aims to implement a multi-stakeholder initiative promoting responsible battery recycling and non-ferrous metal sourcing in Nigeria through improvement of local capacities, risk reduction, strengthened grievance mechanisms and improved data and transparency.

SRADev Executive Director, Dr Leslie Adogame, stressed the importance of the workshop for the health and wellbeing of the local communities. “Collaborative effort is needed because the used Lead acid recycling battery is a big employer of labour and where there is no capacity as there are economic considerations in terms of employability.

“It is not by closing any facility, it’s by how we get the facility to upgrade in such a way that our interest is environment safe and they do their business in an environmentally sound way.”

NESREA Director General, Prof Aliyu Jauro, said batteries, from automobiles to alternative energy systems, posed a significant concern due to their content of toxic and carcinogenic heavy metals like lead and mercury.

Jauro, who was represented by NESREA’s Director, Inspection and Enforcement, Isa Aliyu, lamented that exposure to these substances can lead to severe health issues, including memory loss, high blood pressure, nerve disorders, kidney damage and even death.

He said Nigeria had seen a surge in the use of lead-acid batteries, given their affordability and availability. “While these batteries offer tremendous benefits, their improper handling during the recycling process has resulted in environmental contamination and compromised human safety.

“To ensure sustainable development, the Federal Government established NESREA with the mandate to enforce compliance with environmental laws, guidelines, policies, standards and regulations in Nigeria. NESREA also plays a crucial role in upholding international environmental agreements in pursuit of these goals,” the DG said.

The Ogun State Commissioner for Environment, Mr Ola Oresanya, noted that the state played host to big players in the recycling of batteries and non-ferrous metals, adding that together with all the stakeholders a collective roadmap for responsible battery recycling would be achieved.

The Oba of Ogijo, Oba Kazeem Gbadamosi, lamented the reckless disposal of battery waste in his kingdom, where most of the recyclers operate. He, therefore, called on the regulators to ensure that the recyclers adopt global best practices.