NESREA Urges Producers, Importers, Distributors of Batteries to Manage Environmental ImpactsBennett Oghifo

The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), yesterday said it was mandatory for producers, importers and distributors of batteries in the country to manage the environmental impacts of their products.
The Director General/CEO, NESREA, Dr. Innocent Barikor, stated this in his welcome address at the Regulatory Dialogue on the National Environmental (Battery Control) Regulations, 2024, held in Lagos.
The National Environmental Regulations provide a comprehensive legal framework for the environmentally sound management of all types of batteries across their life cycle.
The regulations aim to prevent and minimise pollution and waste arising from used batteries and the management of the waste generated by used batteries.
This programme, organised by NESREA, in collaboration with the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ Nigeria), was a crucial step towards ensuring the effective implementation of the regulations to address the environmental and health challenges posed by the improper management of used batteries in Nigeria, said Barikor.
The director general, who was represented by the Director South West  Zone, NESREA, Mr. Elijah Udofia, said, “One of the key elements in the National Environmental (Battery Control) Regulations, 2024 is the provision and criminalisation of the non-subscription of (battery) Producers to the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programme. What this means is that every Producer is mandated to subscribe to the EPR Programme.”
The agency, in August this year, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Environment, other key stakeholders, and with support from GIZ Nigeria, launched the National Environmental (Battery Control) Regulations, 2024.
He said the development of the regulation began in 2020 due to the public outcry on the crude handling of Used Lead Acid Batteries (ULABs) in the country. The activities of the sector have drawn the attention of the government to address the concerns by developing the legal framework that will regulate improper handling of the ULABs.
The EPR programme represents a forward-thinking, collaborative approach that involves all stakeholders both in the public and private sectors, working together to achieve a zero-waste society, he said.
As part of the EPR framework, NESREA has registered the Alliance for Responsible Battery Recycling (ARBR) as the Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) for the battery sector in Nigeria. Sector stakeholders including producers, collectors and recyclers are encouraged to collaborate with the ARBR to ensure the sustainable management of used batteries towards fostering a circular economy to benefit both society and the environment.

He said the real impact of any regulatory framework was in its effective implementation and enforcement, adding that the Regulatory Dialogue was about taking steps necessary to move from policy to practice.

“As stakeholders, it is important that we collaborate and synergise our efforts to achieve compliance and implement the regulations effectively. Having laws, guidelines and policy frameworks as the case may be are laudable but not enough.

“Therefore, all critical stakeholders must ensure that there are clear-cut strategies, strong partnerships and practical measures towards achieving our shared goals of safeguarding our communities from the harmful effects of improper management of used batteries,” he added.

One of the main objectives of the regulatory dialogue, he said, was to delineate the roles and responsibilities of governments at all levels in the implementation of the Battery Control Regulations.