The Federal Government has stated preparedness to collaborate with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to combat lead poisoning.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, who also pledged Nigeria’s support to the global campaign against lead poisoning to save the lives of vulnerable citizens.
While reviewing the exhibition on the lead campaign at the Lead-Free Future event organised by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on the sidelines of the on-going United Nations General Assembly, Dr Alake announced plans to procure additional equipment for the detection of lead in communities plagued by lead poisoning.
The Minister advocated for more enlightenment on the threat posed to persons in the mining of gold and other minerals, emphasising that cleaning up lead from communities will restore child and maternal health.
He stressed the need to factor lead reduction in the process of local value addition being championed by the Ministry.
The USAID representative, Dr. Casey Bartrem while welcoming the Minister to the exhibition, appreciated his commitment and showed rock samples retrieved from Zamfara State in Nigeria during the clean-up that followed a lead poisoning incident.
She said the USAID hoped to collaborate with the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development (MSMD) in reducing lead in mineral extraction and processing.
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