The Federal Government has unveiled an environmentally sound management programme for small-sized waste batteries, targeting finger-like batteries that often litter and pollute the environment, causing harm to children and women in Nigeria. This initiative places dedicated safety receptacles across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), market squares, schools, offices, motor parks, and other public areas to ensure these small batteries are safely collected at the source and treated in an environmentally sound manner.
Minister Highlights the Threat
Speaking at the ceremony in Abuja, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, stated that the objective of the launch is to create awareness among stakeholders and the general public about the plan. “Today, we turn our gaze to another silent threat to the environment,” Lawal said. He added, “We recognized a critical gap in the battery collection system where recyclers were not collecting these batteries because they do not offer any economic value to them. But we have created a centralized collection where they are safely collected, stored, and put into the recycling system in order to create economic value for them.”
Types of Batteries Covered
Lawal explained that when people talk about waste batteries, the mind often jumps to large lead-acid batteries found in cars. However, waste batteries also include “button cells” in wristwatches, AA and AAA alkaline batteries in TV remotes, and lithium-ion batteries powering smartphones, toys, and portable torches. “These types are small enough to be forgotten in a drawer and light enough to be tossed into a regular dustbin. The size is deceptive. They are often carelessly handled or disposed of by informal recyclers or unregulated sectors, leading to environmental and health hazards,” he said.
Health and Environmental Risks
The Minister noted that people may not be aware that small-sized waste batteries contain heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and lithium. When they end up in dumpsites or landfills, their casings corrode, emptying their contents, including heavy metals, which leach into groundwater and soil. “They enter the food chain, contaminating water sources and the food we eat, leading to irreversible neurological damage, stunted growth in children, kidney failure, respiratory diseases, cancer, and brain damage that leads to behavioral changes and in most cases death, especially in children,” Lawal warned.
Policy and Partnership
He hinted that the government has developed a National Policy on Waste Battery Management 2022, with guidelines to ensure environmentally sound management of waste batteries. This implementation is being carried out by the Ministry in partnership with the Alliance for Responsible Battery Recycling (ARBR). “This project ensures that these waste small-sized batteries are managed properly, including collection and recycling, in order to have a clean environment and achieve maximum economic benefits without jeopardizing the lives of the citizenry,” Lawal said.
ARBR’s Perspective
Giving an overview on behalf of ARBR, Miranda Amechree noted that the initiative represents a significant step in addressing a largely overlooked but growing environmental challenge: the management of small-sized battery waste in Nigeria. “As Nigeria advances in technology adoption and energy access, small-sized batteries, including AA, button cells, and rechargeable household batteries, have become essential to daily life. However, at the end of their useful life, these batteries often enter general waste streams,” Amechree stated. She added that the National Environmental (Battery Control) Regulations (2024) require that batteries be not only produced and consumed responsibly but also properly recovered and managed at end-of-life in an Environmentally Sound Manner to protect human health and the environment.
