FG Inaugurates Policy on Waste Battery Management

The Nigerian government has launched the National Policy on Waste Battery Management as part of activities of the European Union Climate Diplomacy week 2022.

The National Policy on waste Battery Management was approved in February 2022, and seeks to provide specific direction on Environmental Sound Management, ESM of waste batteries.

The Minister of Environment, Mr Mohammed Abdullahi stated this at the launch of the National Policy and Review of National Guidelines/Standard Operations Procedure on Waste Battery Management in Nigeria in Abuja, the Nation’s capital.

Mr Abdullahi, in his message said that: “the Policy is geared towards setting the right incentives to attract investments in the sector, with socio-economic benefits for the country.

The Minister was represented by the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to President Muhammadu Buhari on Environment and Climate Change, Mr Hassan Musa.

The Head of Section, Green and Digital Economy at the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms Inga Stefanowicz said that “the launch of the policy would be critical in the efforts to mitigate the negative impacts of substandard waste battery handling as well as promote local and international investments in local battery recycling facilities.”

The Head of Programme, NESP, Mr. Duke Benjamin stated that the NESP would provide further support to the Ministry with the development of guidelines and adoption of a Standard Operating Procedures, SOP, document to address the sub-standard management of waste batteries in the country.

Benjamin said; “Following the launch of the Policy, awareness creation workshops will be held to sensitise stakeholders in the sector on the recommendations of the policy,”

The aim of the launch is to inform stakeholders and the general public of the Federal Executive Council has approved National Policy on Waste Battery Management that regulates the battery-energy sector in Nigeria. It is also to solicit support from partners and donor agencies in the effective implementation of the policy.

The event was held in collaboration with the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency in Nigeria, NESREA, European Union, EU and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, BMZ within the framework of the Nigerian Energy Support Programme NESP.

NESP is a technical stance programme, co-funded by the EU and the BMZ, and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Power.

October 28, 2022