GHS IMPLEMENTATION IN NIGERIA

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GHS IMPLEMENTATION IN NIGERIA

• MRS RONKE SOYOMBO
• Federal Ministry of Environment
• Abuja

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INTRODUCTIONBackground

• The Federal Republic of Nigeria is situated on
  the West Coast of Africa
• It is between longitude 2.40" and 14.32" East and
  Latitude 4.16" and 13.52" North of the equator.
• Occupies an area of 923,773 square kilometers.

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Background (Contd)

• Bordered by the Republic of Benin to the West,
  Niger to the North, Cameroon to the East and the
  Atlantic Ocean to the South.
• Nigeria is richly endowed country with abundant
  human and natural resources.
• Nigeria is most populous country in Africa.

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(Contd)

• The estimate population in the year 2003 is about
  126million
• Has an annual growth rate of 2.7, with 71 of
  the population living in rural areas.
• The population in the country is unevenly
  distributed
• About 60 percent of population live in rural
  areas
• 40 percent live in urban areas.

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(Contd)

• The major economic sectors are agriculture,
  industry, wholesale and retail trades. Insurance,
  Banking and Finance form the major part of the
  invisible trade.
• Crude oil dominates exports, accounting for 95.7
  of all exports, while agricultural products
  account for 2.6.

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(Contd)

• The main agricultural crops (cash crops) are
  cocoa, oil palm, soyabean, groundnut, cotton and
  coconut.
• Most of the chemicals in use in the country are
  imported.
• These include pesticides, petroleum products,
  industrial chemicals, fertilizers and consumer
  chemical products.
• Nigeria's trading partners/principal sources for
  these chemicals are European and Asian Countries.

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• In other to provide opportunities to draw out the
  link between poverty and environment and to
  demonstrate that sound and equitable management
  of the environment is integral to achieving the
  Millennium Development Goals and ensuring
  environmental sustainability my Government
  initiated a reform program call NEEDS

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NEEDS

• NEEDS is Nigerias National Economic Empowerment
  and Development Strategy.
• It is the countrys home grown Poverty Reduction
  Strategy Program (PRSP)
•  NEEDS was built on the consultative processes
  associated with the PRSP as a MEDIUM-TERM
  DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY (2003-2007).

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NEEDS (Contd)

• Revive and grow Nigerias comatose economy.
• Significantly raise the standard of living of the
  people.
• Put Nigerians back to gainful work and create new
  employment opportunities.
• Reposition the economy to participate
  beneficially in the global economy
• Poverty Reduction

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(Contd)

• Since NEEDS aims to reduce poverty and empower
  poor people, it cannot do this without promoting
  environmental sustainability. In this regard, the
  NEEDS strategies include the Millennium
  Development Goal No. 7 to ensure environmental
  sustainability.
•  Addressing environmental issues would also help
  to achieve the other Millennium Development Goals

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Sectoral reforms under NEEDS

• Agriculture
• Industry
• Services (education, health)
• Consequently, there would be a high demand for
  chemicals at the Agricultural and Industrial
  sectors, there would be need for transporting,
  handling/ use chemicals and more people will be
  exposed

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GHS Implementation In Nigeria Experiences
Status

• UNITAR at the beginning of the year indicated its
  willingness to support Nigeria as a pilot country
  in undertaking the National GHS Implementation
  Strategy during 2005/2006 with resources provided
  by the government of Switzerland.

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Project outline

• Project commenced in ----------March 2005
• Project completion -----last quarter of 2006
• Project in three phases
• Phase 1Preparation of a GHS situation /Gap
  Analysis and comprehensibility testing
• Phase 2Targeted GHS Capacity Building
• Phase 3Development of A Strategic Plan (Road
  Map) for National GHS Implementation by 2008

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Status summary

• A national GHS Implementation committee was
  established at the inception of the project.
• It comprised representatives of ministries and
  stakeholders groups for the purpose of advising
  in matters of project implementation and
  drafting laws/regulations.
• The Federal Ministry of Environment served as the
  lead government agencies for each of the four
  target sector transport, industrial production
  agriculture and consumer

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GHS situation and Gap Analysis

• Comprehensibility testing was conducted in three
  cities, Lagos, Abuja and Ibadan
• The information collected through the situation
  and gap analysis allowed for determination of
  capacity Gaps and areas that require
  strengthening for implementation of the GHS in
  Nigeria

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Comprehensibility Study

• Sample size 200, 50/sector
• Four sector Agricultural, transport, Consumer and
  Industry
• Consider variables required in the UCT testing
  module provided such as gender, age and
  educational level, and work experiences
• Enumerators selected and trained, administered
  the questionnaires
• All data collected and analyzed

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Challenges/Needs for Capacity Building

• Establishment/ legislation of a national chemical
  registration body with membership of all relevant
  stakeholder to harmonize chemical/pesticide
  registration in the Country in compliance with
  GHS
• Enactment of a multi-sectoral legislation that
  will ensure coordination and coherent approach

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Challenges/Needs for Capacity Building

• Technical training sustained awareness
  programs- across the target audience to address
  regulators needs and the regulated.

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Achievements

• Professional and Political case has been built
  regarding the need for GHS
• Initial Awareness created through
  Comprehensibility Testing and Study

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Conclusion

• The phase 1 aspect involving preparation of GHS
  situation /gap analysis and comprehensibility
  testing has been completed
• Phase 2 has reached advanced stages
• Professional and Political case has been built
  regarding the Need for GHS

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Next Steps

• Further support is needed to sustain the interest
  to ensure that as the NEED program is been
  realized users of chemicals/pesticides are aware
  of the inherent dangers and pay more attentions
  on the labeling