Nigeria Launches Five-Year Plan To Eliminate Lead Poisoning
Lead poisoning remains a silent but deadly public health crisis in Nigeria, robbing children of their future and putting adults at risk of lifelong illness.
Determined to break this cycle, the Federal Government has inaugurated a National Inter-Agency Working Group and unveiled a five-year strategic plan aimed at eliminating lead poisoning across the country.
Speaking at a validation workshop in Abuja, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, represented by senior officials, described the initiative as a “historic milestone” in safeguarding public health.
He warned that lead exposure, particularly in children, causes irreversible brain damage, while in adults it contributes to hypertension, kidney failure, and reproductive problems.
Nigeria has suffered repeated outbreaks of lead poisoning, including the tragic Zamfara crisis of 2010 that claimed over 400 children’s lives, with fresh cases still being reported in Zamfara and Sokoto States as recently as 2024.
To stem the tide, the Ministry has invested in laboratory equipment, chelation therapy, soil remediation, and community education in collaboration with partners like Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
The newly inaugurated working group will coordinate efforts across ministries, regulatory agencies, civil society, academia and global partners such as UNICEF and WHO.
Its mandate includes strengthening surveillance, enforcing safer practices, and ensuring long-term financing.
“Our collective priority is prevention—ensuring that our environment, homes, and water sources are free from lead contamination,” Prof. Pate declared. “The lives and future of millions of Nigerian children depend on our collective efforts.”