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By Damiete Braide
The Lagos State Government, in partnership with Resolve to Save Lives (RSTL), has concluded a three-day stakeholders’ workshop aimed at developing stronger strategies to combat lead poisoning and reduce public exposure to toxic substances across the state.
The workshop brought together representatives from the health, environment, consumer protection and water management sectors to strengthen policies, improve surveillance systems and increase public awareness on the dangers of lead contamination in cosmetics, water sources and consumer products.
Speaking during the event, the Executive Director of Resolve to Save Lives, Dr. Nanlop Ogbureke, said the initiative was designed to support Lagos State in creating an implementation roadmap for eliminating lead contamination from various sources.
According to her, the first phase of the intervention would focus on cosmetics before extending to other consumer products.
“We are supporting Lagos State to develop an implementation plan that will enable the state eliminate lead from different sources. We are starting with cosmetics and later expanding to other consumer products,” she said.
Ogbureke described lead poisoning as a major public health challenge, particularly for children and women of reproductive age, warning that even minimal exposure could lead to lifelong health complications.
She explained that contamination from mining activities; industrial waste, polluted water and agricultural practices had contributed significantly to the spread of lead exposure in Nigeria.
She added that the programme would help generate data across participating states to strengthen advocacy for stricter national regulations and enforcement measures.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Health, Dr. Dayo Lajide, said the workshop reflected the state government’s commitment to protecting residents through evidence-based health interventions.
She noted that exposure to contaminated products, unsafe industrial activities and informal recycling operations remained serious threats to public health.
“Lead poisoning remains a major environmental and public health challenge in Nigeria. Children and women remain the most vulnerable to its devastating effects,” Olajide said.
She disclosed that Lagos was selected as one of four pilot states for the lead poisoning prevention programme launched by Resolve to Save Lives in May 2025, alongside Kano, Kwara and Nasarawa states.
According to her, the workshop was expected to produce a Lagos State Lead Prevention and Control Action Plan, strengthen laboratory and surveillance systems and improve public awareness campaigns.
The Director of Health Care Planning, Research and Statistics at the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Olajumoke Oyenuga, said the engagement was organised to domesticate the national strategic plan on lead poisoning prevention in Lagos.
She stated that stakeholders from various sectors worked together to develop strategies that would guide the state’s response to lead contamination.
“At the end of this workshop, Lagos State will have a workable document for effective lead prevention and control,” she said.
Meanwhile, the General Manager of the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA), Afolabi Solebo, warned that lead contamination from imported cosmetics, industrial emissions, old plumbing systems and unsafe recycling activities posed increasing risks to residents.
He identified unregulated battery recycling, electronic waste processing and illegal smelting activities in areas such as Ikorodu, Alaba and Ajegunle as major contributors to environmental contamination.
Solebo also condemned the transportation of edible oil in fuel tankers previously used for petroleum products, describing it as dangerous to public health.
The General Manager of the Lagos State Waste Water Management Office, Adeyemi Afolabi, stressed the need for stricter regulation of industrial waste disposal to prevent contamination of Lagos waterways.
The workshop ended with stakeholders pledging stronger collaboration and enforcement measures to protect residents from the dangers of lead poisoning.
