The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation will partner the Federal Government to develop national policy on solid waste management.
Dr. Chuma Ezedinma, UNIDO Country Representative, made the statement on Monday in Abuja at a two-day “Expert Critique” meeting to review the 2009 Draft National Environmental-Ozone Layer Protection Regulations.
Ezedinma, who was represented by Oluyomi Banjo, an environmental expert with the organisation, said the partnership was to support Nigeria promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation development.
He said the policy document, which is currently under review, would soon be made available to the public.
The country representative said the UN organisation was assisting Nigeria in its fight to phase out Ozone Depleting Substances.
Ezedinma said: “UNIDO is working with Nigeria in the identification, aggregation and disposal of Chlorofluorocarbon review and updating legislations on ODS.’’
In his remarks, Dr. Lawrence Anukam, the Director-General, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, stressed the need for safe disposal of ODS in the country.
Anukam said the meeting was aimed at developing effective standard for the disposal of the substances.
Anukam said some of the depleting substances were used as refrigerants in air conditioners, propellants in spray cans and agents in several manufacturing processes.
The director-general said the review of the document became necessary to close some gaps which hindered effective compliance, monitoring and enforcement of the regulations.
According to him, some experts say direct exposure to Ultra-Violent rays can cause skin cancer, cataracts (opacity of the lens), and reduced yields of some food crops.
Anukam said: “Ozone layer in the atmosphere plays important role in the protection of life on earth and if it is depleted, more Ultra-Violet rays will reach the earth.”
Anukam urged participants to take the meeting seriously, as it would help in fulfilling Nigeria’s obligation in the ODS phase out regime.
Also speaking, Dr Idris Goji, Acting Director, Pollution Control and Environmental Health Department, Federal Ministry of Environment, said that Nigeria had succeeded in phasing out Chlorofluorocarbon and dichromate.
Goji, who was represented by Theodore Nwaokwe, Deputy Director in the department, said that the Nigerian government had set up an ozone village designed for ozone related activities.
He said that the regulations would go a long way to address issues of climate change.
An environmental expert, Mary Manzo, called on the Federal Government to step up sensitisation and training of Nigerians especially those rural areas for effective implementation of the regulations.
Manzo is the Chief Executive Officer, Maryelika Foundation, an environmental non-governmental organization.
She that people in rural areas, who contributed largely to the release of ozone depleting substances, were not adequately informed on measures to reduce the use of the substances.
Nigeria had a target to stop the importation and use of ozone depleting substances by 2040.
Some of the substances are Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Halon, Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), Methyl chloroform (CH3CCl3), Hydrobromofluorocarbons (HBFCs), Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), Methyl bromide (CH3Br) and Bromochloromethane (CH2BrCl).
They are mostly released through refrigerators and air conditioners.
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