… Inaugurates Inter-Agency Working Group
By Mercy Gadia Adi
The Federal Government has inaugurated the National Inter-Agency Working Group on Lead Poisoning Elimination in Nigeria and unveiled a five-year strategic plan to tackle the growing public health crisis.
The initiative, driven by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, seeks to harmonize national strategies, strengthen surveillance, and implement evidence-based interventions against lead exposure.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, represented by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom, described the move as a historic milestone in safeguarding public health.
“Lead poisoning is not just an environmental concern; it is a public health crisis that silently erodes the well-being of our children, causing irreversible brain and nervous system damage,” Pate said.
Nigeria has experienced severe lead poisoning outbreaks, most notably in Zamfara State in 2010 where more than 400 children died, and in Niger State in 2015. Fresh cases were reported in Zamfara and Sokoto in 2024.
The new working group will coordinate efforts among ministries, regulatory agencies such as NESREA, NAFDAC and SON, as well as partners including UNICEF, WHO, Resolve to Save Lives, and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
Key measures outlined in the strategy include strengthening health worker capacity, providing laboratory equipment like lead care machines, supporting chelation therapy for affected victims, enhancing community awareness, and recommending sustainable financing for long-term solutions.
Mrs. Adegbite Olufunmilola, Director of Epidemiology and National Coordinator of the Lead Elimination Programme, said the plan, once launched, would drive community-level enforcement and awareness campaigns.
Dr. Ganiyu Jamiyu, Chief Consultant Epidemiologist, warned that untreated lead poisoning could result in lifelong disability, mental retardation, and death, particularly among children. “We must save future generations, and that is why this initiative has been made a priority,” he stressed.
The two-day workshop in Abuja, where the strategy was finalized and validated, marks a significant step toward eliminating lead poisoning and other heavy metal exposures in the country.