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| Source: zainabusman.wordpress.com |
An estimated 400 children have died from the inhalation of
lead poison in six communities in Zamfara state, Nigera, due to improper mining practices.
Mr. Hamzat Bala Lawal, the National Coordinator, African
Youth Initiative on Climate Change (AYICC), Nigeria chapter, disclosed this
while speaking with newsmen yesterday in Abuja.
Lawal, who is also the Advisor, Nigerian Youth Climate
Action Network (NYCAN), said that the root cause
of the lead poisoning was unsafe mining and ore processing.
He stressed the need to provide access to facilities and
programmes for people engaged in mining and ore processing, to enable them
safely mine and process ore without exposing themselves or others to toxic
lead.
He quoted ‘Medecins sans Frontieres’, an international NGO,
as saying that the environment had to be properly sanitised for the affected
children to receive adequate treatment.
Lawal said that his organisation had been advocating for the
federal government to release 5.4 million dollars for environmental
remediation, to eliminate the contaminant.
According to him, the process of eliminating the poison from
the communities would take a period of three to six months.
“Over 1,000 people have died from this poison in these six
communities due to mining activities.
Overtime, we will adopt the best practice of mining in order not to
re-pollute the environment.’’
The Coordinator also highlighted the importance and
advantages of a functional National Climate Change Commission in Nigeria.
He said that the commission would provide leadership,
coordination, resources and information to fully respond to climate change.
Lawal, who over the years had been involved in environmental
issues, noted that Nigerian Youths represent about 65 per cent of the country’s
167 million people.
He added that this was an important factor in tackling the
effects of climate change.
He also said that the African Youth Initiative on Climate Change (AYICC) Nigerian chapter and Nigerian Youth Climate Action Network (NYCAN) were collaborating with other stakeholders to launch a campaign to follow the process up to implementation level.
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| Source: sahara reporters. By Ahmed Galadima |
Source: NAN, Daily Times NG, & Daily Trust
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