Nigeria
FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
THE 19TH SESSION OF THE UN COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
(HIGH-LEVEL SEGMENT)
STATEMENT ON THE ROUND TABLE ON
MOVING TOWARDS ZERO WASTE AND SOUND MANAGEMENT OF CHEMICALS
DELIVERED BY
Dr. Lawrence Chidi Anukam
Director, Planning and Policy Analysis, National Environmental Standards and Regulations
Enforcement Agency (NESREA) of Nigeria
Mr. Chairman,
Nigeria would like to associate herself with the views expressed by the representative of
Argentina on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.
On chemicals, Nigeria is committed to the implementation of the following programmes and
activities: the development of comprehensive risk management strategies aimed at pollution
prevention and risk elimination; establishment of environment and health surveillance
programmes; knowledge and information sharing among key sectors and stakeholders;
strengthening of national strategies for prevention, detection and control of illegal traffic in
hazardous chemicals; substitution of toxic chemicals with less harmful alternatives; promotion
of more environment-friendly practices by industries; and sustained public awareness
campaigns and education on sound management of chemicals.
Sound management of chemicals will require adequate support from the global community to
complement efforts at country level. Therefore resources for capacity building in developing
countries must be increased and technologies must be scaled-up in order to meet the agreed
goals and targets related to sound management of chemicals.
There is need for national chemicals management infrastructure. All barriers to information
detailing inherent hazards of chemicals and hazardous wastes must be eliminated. The
application of life-cycle management approaches should be accorded high priority in view of its
importance in ensuring that chemicals management decisions are consistent with the goals of
sustainable development. In addition, actions must be taken to address emerging issues of
chemicals of global concern such as lead in paint, hazardous substances in the life cycle of
electrical and electronic prosucts, chemicals in products, endocrine disruptors and potential
cocktail effects of chemicals.
Mr. Chairman,
The negative impacts of wastes on humans and the environment in terms of pollution of land,
water, and air, are becoming more acute than ever before.
Nigeria has over the years put in place various administrative, legal and institutional
frameworks to address the challenges in waste management, using the integrated approach
and focusing on the 3R concept (Reduce, Recycle, Re-use), including recovery and final disposal .
Various programmes and activities on waste management have been put in place, including the
construction of sanitary landfills; composting; establishment of recycling plants; establishment
of National Registration Scheme for the import and export of Used Electrical/Electronic
Equipment; and Public Awareness/Sensitisation Campaigns on Sustainable Waste Management.
Nigeria has also intensified efforts, through many collaborative programmes, to address the
problems of marine pollution and wastes from both land and sea sources.
Mr. Chairman,
Nigeria takes the issue of e-waste seriously. Many developing countries, including Nigeria, have
become dumping ground for near-end-of-life and end-of?life electrical/electronic equipment.
This informed the leadership role taken by Nigeria on behalf of the African Group in proposing
e-waste as an emerging policy issue at the Second International Conference on Chemical
Management (ICCM2), organised by the Secretariat of the Strategic Action to International
Chemical Management (SAICM) in Geneva in 2009.
Nigeria will continue to intensify her efforts in the implementation of the Toxic Waste-Dump-
Watch Programme. Through in-country collaboration as well as at sub-regional and regional
levels, adequate mechanisms have been put in place to control illegal trans-boundary
movement and importation of hazardous wastes into the country.
We are collaborating with various governments and international organisations in our effort to
ensure that Nigeria does not become a dumping ground for e-waste shipped from other
countries. We wish to express our gratitude for the support we have been receiving from the
international community in this regard.
To date, the Government of Nigeria has intercepted and sent back to Ports of origin, five vessels
carrying e-waste to Nigeria. We believe that it is unethical to ship e-waste to developing
countries from developed countries under any disguise.
Mr. Chairman,
Effective environmentally sound management of wastes requires active participation of all key
stakeholders at local, national, regional and global levels. There is urgent need for technical
assistance, particularly to the developing countries in cleaning up of contaminated sites.
Capacity building is needed to promote the safety of workers in relevant sectors. There should
be more research efforts to explore best practices for safe recycling including those fractions
that are not currently recycled or for which there is no capacity to recycle. There should be
tailored capacity building programmes for customs, ports authorities, environmental protection
regulatory organisations and agencies, law enforcement and security agencies, to improve on
their performance.
Mr. Chair,
In conclusion, Nigeria will continue to participate actively in all regional and global processes
and efforts to promote environmentally sound management of wastes and chemicals. We will
also continue to honour our obligations and commitments to those multilateral agreements to
which we are signatory.
Thank you.
THE 19TH SESSION OF THE UN COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
(HIGH-LEVEL SEGMENT)
STATEMENT ON THE ROUND TABLE ON
MOVING TOWARDS ZERO WASTE AND SOUND MANAGEMENT OF CHEMICALS
DELIVERED BY
Dr. Lawrence Chidi Anukam
Director, Planning and Policy Analysis, National Environmental Standards and Regulations
Enforcement Agency (NESREA) of Nigeria
Mr. Chairman,
Nigeria would like to associate herself with the views expressed by the representative of
Argentina on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.
On chemicals, Nigeria is committed to the implementation of the following programmes and
activities: the development of comprehensive risk management strategies aimed at pollution
prevention and risk elimination; establishment of environment and health surveillance
programmes; knowledge and information sharing among key sectors and stakeholders;
strengthening of national strategies for prevention, detection and control of illegal traffic in
hazardous chemicals; substitution of toxic chemicals with less harmful alternatives; promotion
of more environment-friendly practices by industries; and sustained public awareness
campaigns and education on sound management of chemicals.
Sound management of chemicals will require adequate support from the global community to
complement efforts at country level. Therefore resources for capacity building in developing
countries must be increased and technologies must be scaled-up in order to meet the agreed
goals and targets related to sound management of chemicals.
There is need for national chemicals management infrastructure. All barriers to information
detailing inherent hazards of chemicals and hazardous wastes must be eliminated. The
application of life-cycle management approaches should be accorded high priority in view of its
importance in ensuring that chemicals management decisions are consistent with the goals of
sustainable development. In addition, actions must be taken to address emerging issues of
chemicals of global concern such as lead in paint, hazardous substances in the life cycle of
electrical and electronic prosucts, chemicals in products, endocrine disruptors and potential
cocktail effects of chemicals.
Mr. Chairman,
The negative impacts of wastes on humans and the environment in terms of pollution of land,
water, and air, are becoming more acute than ever before.
Nigeria has over the years put in place various administrative, legal and institutional
frameworks to address the challenges in waste management, using the integrated approach
and focusing on the 3R concept (Reduce, Recycle, Re-use), including recovery and final disposal .
Various programmes and activities on waste management have been put in place, including the
construction of sanitary landfills; composting; establishment of recycling plants; establishment
of National Registration Scheme for the import and export of Used Electrical/Electronic
Equipment; and Public Awareness/Sensitisation Campaigns on Sustainable Waste Management.
Nigeria has also intensified efforts, through many collaborative programmes, to address the
problems of marine pollution and wastes from both land and sea sources.
Mr. Chairman,
Nigeria takes the issue of e-waste seriously. Many developing countries, including Nigeria, have
become dumping ground for near-end-of-life and end-of?life electrical/electronic equipment.
This informed the leadership role taken by Nigeria on behalf of the African Group in proposing
e-waste as an emerging policy issue at the Second International Conference on Chemical
Management (ICCM2), organised by the Secretariat of the Strategic Action to International
Chemical Management (SAICM) in Geneva in 2009.
Nigeria will continue to intensify her efforts in the implementation of the Toxic Waste-Dump-
Watch Programme. Through in-country collaboration as well as at sub-regional and regional
levels, adequate mechanisms have been put in place to control illegal trans-boundary
movement and importation of hazardous wastes into the country.
We are collaborating with various governments and international organisations in our effort to
ensure that Nigeria does not become a dumping ground for e-waste shipped from other
countries. We wish to express our gratitude for the support we have been receiving from the
international community in this regard.
To date, the Government of Nigeria has intercepted and sent back to Ports of origin, five vessels
carrying e-waste to Nigeria. We believe that it is unethical to ship e-waste to developing
countries from developed countries under any disguise.
Mr. Chairman,
Effective environmentally sound management of wastes requires active participation of all key
stakeholders at local, national, regional and global levels. There is urgent need for technical
assistance, particularly to the developing countries in cleaning up of contaminated sites.
Capacity building is needed to promote the safety of workers in relevant sectors. There should
be more research efforts to explore best practices for safe recycling including those fractions
that are not currently recycled or for which there is no capacity to recycle. There should be
tailored capacity building programmes for customs, ports authorities, environmental protection
regulatory organisations and agencies, law enforcement and security agencies, to improve on
their performance.
Mr. Chair,
In conclusion, Nigeria will continue to participate actively in all regional and global processes
and efforts to promote environmentally sound management of wastes and chemicals. We will
also continue to honour our obligations and commitments to those multilateral agreements to
which we are signatory.
Thank you.
Stakeholders