Written by: Barakat Ganiyu
In Ogijo, just like in many other towns in Ogun state and across the country, children played outside their homes, rubbing sand on their hands and feet, even building castles with it. Little did they know that this seemingly harmless way of enjoying themselves was slowly poisoning them. It often begins with mild headaches, then they could no longer join other kids to play. Early symptoms were often mistaken for malaria and most families continued empirical treatment with antimalarials, unaware that something far more dangerous was at work.
In 2010, a case of lead poisoning had been traced to gold mining in Zamfara. The practice of crushing gold-bearing stones was common in this region. Fine lead dust was released into water that served as their source for cooking, drinking and agriculture. Therefore, children were exposed to remarkably high levels of lead. Upon learning of this crisis, certain interventions were carried out – safe water provision, chelation therapy and diagnostic tools were made available. However, after a period of time, the practice of unsafe mining continued and new cases of lead poisoning began to unfold with no strict regulation on mining or long-term intervention in view.
In 2025, there were reports of dangerously high blood lead levels in children. This time, it was gold mining, it was unethical recycling of lead batteries close to homes and schools signalling , again signalling poor enforcement of environmental regulations. Lead batteries were broken apart in open spaces releasing lead dust into the air, soil and water. Unfortunately, rather than kicking against this horrible practice, it was reported that many claimed it was their source of livelihood and there was little or no chance they were going to stop.
The two stories are related in terms of the underlying problems despite their various settings, Zamfara and Ogijo. Poverty drags the communities to dangerous activities.Weak enforcement of environmental regulations and some of the unsafe practices prevail in many communities. There is a poor early warning system and occasional screening of lead exposure. When the symptoms manifest themselves, the damage has been done and is usually incurable.
Governmental reaction has mostly been in response to publicity. Clean-up efforts and health assessments were promised. However, these actions are only taken when the children are already harmed. The monitoring over the long-term, continuous care, and adequate environmental remediation are not widespread. Unless the conditions under which these exposures occur in the first place are dealt with, such occurrences are likely to reoccur again.
The lead poisoning crisis in Nigeria can be attributed to ignorance but it is largely on account of weak enforcement of environmental regulations. Its dangers are familiar, and trends are evident.The core gap is the absence of a system designed to prevent damage before it occurs. This involves implementation of environmental standards, offering safer means of living to vulnerable groups, conducting regular screening of children in the regions at risk, and holding institutions responsible when avoidable damage occurs. Until such changes are undertaken, lead poisoning will keep on robbing children and their potential silently, leaving them with the consequences of others actions and inactions.