The Federal Government has launched a five-year strategic plan to eliminate lead poisoning in Nigeria through improved surveillance, stronger regulations, enhanced prevention measures and coordinated action across relevant sectors.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, announced the initiative on Wednesday in Abuja during the commemoration of the 2026 International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, held under the theme, “From Detection to Prevention.”
Salako described lead poisoning as a major public health and environmental concern, warning that children, pregnant women and women of childbearing age were particularly vulnerable to its harmful effects.
He said Nigeria needed to move beyond identifying cases of lead poisoning to preventing exposure by addressing its sources.
The minister identified the establishment and operationalisation of the Inter-Agency Working Group on Lead Poisoning Prevention and Elimination as a significant step towards improving collaboration among ministries, departments and agencies, development partners and other stakeholders.
He also cited experiences in Lagos, Ogun, Sokoto and Zamfara states as evidence of the need for interventions tailored to local sources and pathways of lead exposure.
“At the subnational level, we have identified the development of state-specific lead prevention and control action plans for Lagos, Ogun, Zamfara and Sokoto States as an important next step,” Salako said.
He explained that the state-level plans would address specific sources and pathways of exposure while aligning with the national framework.
According to him, finalising the Lagos State action plan, informed by an assessment of blood lead levels and children’s environmental health, would be particularly important.
The minister said the five-year strategic plan would provide a national framework for coordinated, multisectoral interventions, including improved environmental and occupational surveillance, stronger laboratory capacity, effective regulatory enforcement and clearer referral pathways for people found to have elevated blood lead levels.
He added that a costed three-year national roadmap was being developed to translate the plan’s priorities into measurable interventions with defined timelines.
Salako urged state governments, development partners, industries, civil society organisations, professional bodies, traditional and religious leaders, communities and the media to support the adoption and implementation of the plan.
Emphasising the importance of community participation, he said efforts to prevent lead poisoning must extend beyond government institutions.
“Communities are central to prevention, and our efforts must extend beyond government institutions to all of society. Traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations, professional bodies, researchers, industries, community-based organisations and the media all have critical roles to play,” he said.
The minister also urged Nigerians to adopt practical measures to minimise exposure to lead, including avoiding contaminated soil and dust, using lead-safe products and observing protective procedures during battery recycling, painting and other high-risk activities.
He advised workers in high-risk occupations to keep work clothes and footwear away from living areas, while encouraging households to clean floors and children’s play areas with wet-cleaning methods.
Salako further recommended diets rich in calcium, iron and vitamin C as part of efforts to reduce the health risks associated with lead exposure.
Reaffirming the ministry’s commitment to eliminating lead poisoning, the minister called for sustained cooperation among stakeholders to ensure that scientific evidence informs policy and that policies translate into practical interventions.
“The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare remains committed to providing the needed leadership and working closely with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that Nigeria moves decisively from a predominantly reactive response to a comprehensive, preventive and sustainable approach to lead poisoning,” he said.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said the initiative was aimed at protecting children, safeguarding communities and reducing the health consequences of lead exposure nationwide.
