By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
As part of activities of the European Union Climate Diplomacy Week 2022, the Federal Ministry of Environment in collaboration with the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), on Thursday launched the national policy on waste battery management.
The policy has technical support from the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) within the framework of the Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP).
NESP is a technical assistance programme, co-funded by the EU and the BMZ, and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Power (FMP).
The National Policy on Waste Battery Management was approved in February 2022 and seeks to provide specific direction on Environmentally Sound Management (ESM) of waste batteries.
Speaking at the launch in Abuja on Thursday, the Minister of Environment Barr. Mohammed Abdullahi said the policy will result in fostering a safer environment, especially for the teeming population working and living within and around the vicinities of waste battery collection and recycling facilities in the country.
The minister who was represented the Senior Special Assistant to the President on environment and climate change, Engr Hassan Musa reiterated the government’s commitment towards fostering a cleaner environment in the country, adding that “the Policy is geared towards setting the right incentives to attract investments in the sector, with socio-economic benefits for the country.”
Also speaking, the Head of Section, Green and Digital Economy at the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms Inga STEFANOWICZ, said that, “the launch of the policy would be critical in the efforts to mitigate the negative impacts of substandard waste battery handling as well as promote local and international investments in local battery recycling facilities.”
Similarly, the head of Programme, NESP, Mr. Duke Benjamin stated that, “NESP would provide further support to the Ministry with the development of guidelines and adoption of a Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) document to address the sub-standard management of waste batteries in the country.”
He added that following the launch of the policy, awareness creation workshops will be held to sensitise stakeholders in the sector on the recommendations of the policy.
Following the launch of the Policy, awareness creation workshops kicked off on Thursday to sensitise stakeholders in the sector on the recommendations of the policy.
