Solid Minerals Ministry, UNICEF, USAID Partner To Combat Lead Poisoning 

Dr. Dele Alake, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, has pledged Nigeria’s support for the global lead poisoning campaign, which aims to save the lives of vulnerable citizens.

While reviewing the exhibition on the lead campaign at the Lead-Free Future event organised by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations General Assembly, Dr. Alake announced plans to purchase additional equipment for lead detection in lead-poisoned communities.

The Minister advocated for greater awareness of the dangers that people face when mining gold and other minerals, emphasising that removing lead from communities will improve child and maternal health.

He emphasised the importance of incorporating lead reduction into the Ministry’s local value-addition initiative.

Dr. Casey Bartrem, a USAID representative, welcomed the Minister to the exhibition and thanked him for his commitment. He also displayed rock samples recovered from Zamfara State in Nigeria during the clean-up following a lead poisoning incident.

She said the USAID hoped to work with the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development (MSMD) to reduce lead in mineral extraction and processing.