..Ministry, GIZ, EU, UNIDO, HBS, others brainstorm on disposal of expired batteries
By Dele Ogbodo
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Tuesday disclosed that it has earmarked N500 million in its kitty for funding of renewable energy.
Mrs. Aisha Mahmud, the representative of CBN while making the disosure at the inception of strategic action plan for safe use, disposal and recycling of expired battery, said the effort is geared towards making sure that activities of the financial sector does not negatively impact on human health.
She, said: “The CBN as a leader is also using the initiative to move the country from linear to cycler economy which involves taking resources to manufacture products and to dispose off waste done in a loop where waste is now being used as raw materials to produce other products.
“As a result CBN is vigorously encouraging recycling within the industry. I will give you an example of what we are doing in CBN, we are recycling our waste papers to tissue papers and to be given to IDPs and schools as CSR.
“We are managing our electronic waste in an environmentally sound manner, using the waste to produce suitcases while the hazardous components are shipped abroad for proper disposal. This will be replicated in all our branches.”
“Before now, what we used to do is that at the end of the life cycle of a currency notes whether it is paper polymer, we often shred or burn it. Now, what we do is that we are recycling our polymer bank notes of N10, N20 and N50 so that at the end of it’s life cycle it is converted into plastic table and chairs and we have started discussing with Dangote Cement and other recycling plants to see how they can use it for their energy needs.”
The workshop was organized by the Ministry of Environment in collaboration with the Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP), European Union, GIZ, UNIDO, Heinrich Boll Stiftung (HBS) and other stakeholders.
Mrs. Mahmud, said CBN is taking the lead on setting exemplary example for the financial institution to follow to align with the attainment of low carbon economy by 2030.
According to her, the development of a sustainable framework towards low carbon economy by the apex bank started in 2012, adding that CBN is mobilising PENCOM, NSE and other financial institutions to make Nigeria green economy.
In her remark, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mrs. Ibukun Odusote, who was represented by the Director in the ministry, Mrs. Abimbola Adenuga, said the workshop is aimed at raising awareness of regulators and policy makers on the environment and health impacts of used batteries and to chart a way on its proper disposal through effective policy.
According to Odusote, the wastes generated from use of battery in the energy sector are huge and carelessly handled by recyclers can lead to environmental and health hazards.
She said batteries contain heavy metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, silver, nickel and lithium known to cause fetal damage, anaemia, kidney and brain damage and even death especially in children.
The Perm Sec, added that Nigeria is committed to its obligations under the Basel convention on managing hazardous wastes, explaining that in cases where Nigeria does not have the local capacity, it will be exported to other countries that have the technical capacity to manage in an environmentally sound manner.
Odusote said: “Used batteries are not exported as whole entities rather they undergo some preliminary recycling in which they are broken and the lead plates are extracted and exported or melted into ingots and also exported.
“This involves the informal sector and small and medium scale enterprises whose unregulated activities lead to environmental pollution such as surface and underground water contamination, air pollution, soil contamination and lead poisoning.”
She added that it is against this background that the ministry and GIZ is developing a national policy and guidelines for environmentally sound management of used batteries in Nigeria.