FG says 80 million Nigerian children exposed to lead poisoning
- Health minister Iziaq Salako said about 80 million children in Nigeria face lead exposure.
- He launched a five-year plan to eliminate lead poisoning and urged four states to act.
- UNICEF says there is no safe level of lead for children.
About 80 million children in Nigeria are exposed to lead, the Federal Government said on Wednesday, warning that the metal can quietly damage health for years without obvious signs.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, gave the figure in Abuja at an event marking International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, which runs from October 18 to 24.
Lead is a toxic metal that can harm several organs at once. Salako said children, pregnant women and women of childbearing age carry the greatest risk, and that many exposed people show no symptoms at first — which is why prevention and early testing matter so much.
He launched a Five-Year Strategic Plan on Lead Poisoning Elimination (2026–2030) and said a costed three-year roadmap is being prepared to turn the plan into timed actions.
Where the exposure comes from
Salako said past investigations in Lagos, Ogun, Sokoto and Zamfara showed that lead reaches people through different routes, so each state needs its own response.
In Lagos, environmental studies and blood lead tests have shaped a state action plan. In Ogun, the minister pointed to battery recycling in Ogijo as a source of concern, saying recycling needs tighter environmental and occupational controls.
He urged Lagos, Ogun, Zamfara and Sokoto to draw up prevention and control plans, and said a new Inter-Agency Working Group will coordinate the work across ministries, agencies and development partners.
His advice to Nigerians: watch out for lead-based paint dust, contaminated soil, unsafe water pipes, lead-glazed pottery, some toys, cosmetics including traditional eyeliner (tiro) and some traditional remedies.
Workers in construction, painting and recycling should wear protective clothing and avoid carrying work clothes and shoes into their homes, he said. He also recommended regular handwashing, washing children's toys, and wet-wiping floors instead of dry sweeping, which spreads dust.
Children and pregnant women should be kept away from battery recycling sites, repair workshops and painting areas, and meals rich in calcium, iron and vitamin C can help the body absorb less lead.
"We cannot treat our way out of lead poisoning; we must prevent exposure wherever possible," Salako said.
Dr Sarah Ango, a UNICEF consultant, said lead poisoning is preventable but often invisible, and stressed that no level of lead exposure is safe for children. She said UNICEF is backing government efforts on surveillance, laboratory capacity and public awareness, with a goal of ending childhood lead poisoning by 2040.
Mrs Okeoma Obasi of Resolve to Save Lives said her organisation has supported testing and awareness work, and described prevention as the cheapest and most effective protection.
What happens next
The government plans to strengthen monitoring of soil, dust, water, factory emissions and consumer products, and to improve testing and enforcement, including at points of entry.
For ordinary families, the message is practical: keep children away from recycling and painting areas, wash hands and toys often, and wet-wipe floors. Parents who suspect exposure should seek medical testing, since early detection allows treatment and cleanup of the source.
