FG calls for collaboration to address Highly Hazardous Pesticides

FG calls for multi-stakeholder collaboration to address Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHP)

The Federal Government has called for multi-stakeholder approach to address Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHP) which Chlorpyrifos is included.

The government also called for timely banning and phasing out of Chlorpyrifos in the country.

Dr Iziaq Salako, Minister of State for Environment said this at a news conference on the dissemination of ‘Nigeria’s situation report on Chlorpyrifos by the Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADev) under the auspices of International Pollution Elimination Network (IPEN).on Thursday in Lagos.

Salako was represented by Mrs Olabimpe Adenaike, Deputy Director, Pollution Control and Environmental Health, Federal Ministry of Environment.

“Considering the severity of the threat of Chlorpyrifos to health and environment:

“All stakeholders, Federal Ministry of Environment, Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and their Agencies, Nigerian Customs Service;

“Inter-Governmental Organisations (IGOs), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), farmers, academia, trade unions, civil society and private sector;

“Should collaborate and timely address HHP which Chlorpyrifos is included and ensure these pesticides are progressively banned and entirely phased out;

“While also promoting good agricultural practices, ensuring environmentally sound disposal of stockpiles of obsolete pesticides and capacity building,” Salako said.

He commended Dr. Leslie Adogama for his bold and laudable initiative to bringing to the fore, the status of import, use and hazardous effects of chlorpyrifos in preparation to its ban in Nigeria by the National Committee on Chemical Management.

He noted that the committee is co-chaired by the ministries of environment and health, whose secretariat is domiciled in the ministry of environment.

According to him, the Federal Ministry of Environment is one of the key driving forces for improving pesticides and crop protection policies.

He added that the goal is for a safer, socially just, environmentally sustainable and economically viable pest management system (the 3 pillars of sustainable development).

He said that the ministry is the national focal point for the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) conventions.

He mentioned others to include:

“The Basel Convention on the Control of Trans-Boundary Movement on Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal

“Rotterdam Convention on the Prior-Informed Consent Procedure for certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade.

“Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants,” Salako said.

He said that these conventions exercise control on pesticides and hazardous chemicals.

“In 2002 Global Harmonized System of classification and Labelling of Chemicals was adopted and Nigeria was a party to it.

“The FMENV being the designated authority. Global harmonised System (GHS) is a functional tool for action and management of chemicals.

“In 2006 at Dubai, the Stragegic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) was adopted, a policy framework to provide chemical safety around the world.

“The SAICM’s stakeholder implementation of GHS and the purple book.

“The SAICM is now succeeded by the Global Framework on Chemicals for a Planet free from Harm from Chemicals and Waste,” Salako said.

He explained that GHS and Rotterdam classified some pesticides as highly hazardous pesticides because of their proven toxicity.

he said that High Hazardous Pesticides means pesticides that are acknowledged to have particularly high levels of acute or chronic hazards to health or environment..

He stressed that these pesticides cause severe or irreversible harm to health or the environment.

“Unlike other chemicals whose risks can be managed by reduction measures, unfortunately the HHPs are too dangerous for the usual reduction measures to be applicable especially in low and middle income countries like ours.

“The pesticide on focus today is a HHP CHLORPYRIFOS. Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate.

“Chlorpyrifos has been widely used in homes and on farms. In homes, it is used to control cockroaches, fleas, bed bugs and termites.

“On the farms, it is used to control ticks on cattle and as a spray to control pests.

“Although the use in homes is banned in most developed countries,” Salako said.

The minister said that Chlorpyrifos causes neuro-toxic effects due to its ability to inhibit acetylcholinestearase (ACha), an enzyme needed for nervous system’s proper functioning.

he said that Chlorpyrifos exposure during pregnancy and infancy results in neuronal defects and Parkinson’s disease.

He said that the pesticide is lipid soluble, hence bio-accumulates to fatty tissue like the liver.

he added that it causes variety of nervous disorders ranging from headaches, blurred vision and salivation to seizures, coma and death depending on the amount and length of exposure.