The Federal Government has unveiled the National Environmental (Battery Control) Regulations 2024 to prevent and minimise pollution and waste emanating from batteries in Nigeria.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the regulations seek to ensure environmentally sound management of used batteries in the country.

The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, stated this at the unveiling of the document on Thursday in Abuja.

He said that the regulations also sought to address the challenges of waste battery management in Nigeria.

Lawal said it was in line with the provisions and recommendations of the Basel and Bamako Conventions, and other related guidelines for the Environmentally Sound Management (ESM) of hazardous waste.

The minister was represented by Mr Usman Bokani, Director, Pollution and Public Health, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA).

He said that batteries, particularly those used in renewable energy, telecommunication and automotive sectors, were critical to Nigeria’s economic development.

Lawal said that batteries contained hazardous materials such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and lithium amongst others.

He said batteries when improperly disposed of, could lead to severe health conditions including cancer, kidney damage and neurological disorders.

King Charles Urges Urgent Climate Action at COP28 Conference

King Charles III issued a passionate call for swift and resolute action to safeguard the planet during his address at the COP28 climate conference on Friday.

The British monarch, speaking from Dubai, emphasized the pivotal role of heads of state and government in addressing the global climate crisis and expressed his hope for COP28 to mark a critical turning point towards genuine transformational action.

“The Earth does not belong to us, we belong to the Earth,’’ underscored King Charles on the second day of the event, scheduled to run until December 12. He cautioned against indifference to ecological damage, noting that “records are now being broken so often that we are perhaps becoming immune to what they are really telling us,” referencing data from researchers on increasing temperatures.

“We are carrying out a vast, frightening experiment of changing every ecological condition, all at once, at a pace that far outstrips nature’s ability to cope,’’ he warned.

Acknowledging some progress in climate initiatives, the 75-year-old king expressed concern about losing our way in addressing climate change. He observed, “Some important progress has been made, but it worries me greatly that we have lost our way so terribly.’’

Highlighting the alarming increase in CO2 and methane levels in the atmosphere, King Charles III stressed the potentially devastating consequences for livelihoods worldwide.

The monarch, a longtime advocate for the environment and nature, had previously inaugurated the COP21 in Paris in 2015 while still the heir to the throne. However, in his current role as king, he is bound by strict political neutrality, limiting the pointedness with which he can express his views.

The king’s address comes against the backdrop of recent controversial plans announced by Britain’s Conservative government to significantly expand oil and gas production in the North Sea, a development that King Charles III had to announce a few weeks ago.

Climate Change: Nigerian govt introduces wood-saving stove to North East

The Federal Government of Nigeria says using Atmosfair Save80 Clean Cookstoves, a climate-friendly technology, will help to address climate change concerns and reverse environmental deterioration in northeast states.

Dr Salisu Dahiru, Director-General of the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), stated this on Thursday at a sensitization programme in Maiduguri.

Dahiru stated that the stoves will reduce the need of firewood by 80%.

According to him, one of the biggest reasons of deforestation in Nigeria is the widespread use of firewood, which leads in tree felling, emphasising the importance of involving women in the effort to save Nigeria’s ecology.

“Women, especially those in rural areas, are very critical to achieving success in the climate change campaigns because of their daily duty of using firewood to cook for the family.

“By embracing save80 clean cook stoves, Nigerians can make a significant contribution to achieving its environmental safety goals while also saving money for sustainable living,” the DG said.

Director of Public Sector, Atmosfair Climate and Sustainability Limited, Abdurrahman Sulaiman, said the stainless steel clean stove was designed to use 80 per cent less fuel and produce 80 per cent less pollution than the traditional stoves.

Suleiman said that by 2024, it would go round the states and LGAs to sensitise women to the stoves.

The Chairman, Advisory Board of Atmosfair Climate and Sustainability Ltd, producers of the cookstoves, Amb. Faruk Yabo, said measures was in place to ensure that the stove reached everywhere in Nigeria.

Climate Change: Nigerian govt introduces wood-saving stove to North East