News
USAID, SON Partner to Reduce Lead Poisoning and Protect Nigerian Children
USAID, SON Partner to Reduce Lead Poisoning and Protect Nigerian Children
By: Michael Mike
The United States Government through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Government of Nigeria, through the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), have agreed to collaborate on mitigating lead poisoning in the country.
By this arrangement, they plan to enhance surveillance, regulation, and enforcement of standards related to consumer goods and paints in Nigeria.
Lead can affect individuals of any age, but children are particularly vulnerable due to their behavioral patterns and susceptibility to toxicity at lower exposure levels.
Globally, an estimated one-third of children have blood lead concentrations that impair cognitive development and contribute to learning disabilities and attention deficits. A 2011 survey by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that unsafe mining and ore processing are the leading causes of lead poisoning in Nigeria.
USAID/Nigeria Mission Director, Melissa Jones in a meeting with SON Director General Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwunonso Okeke, said: “USAID is committed to leading the Government of Nigeria’s mitigation efforts to save Nigerian children from further risk of lead exposure.”
A statement on Thursday said USAID will provide technical assistance to SON to raise awareness about the safe use of products that contain lead, support Nigeria in joining the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint (Lead Paint Alliance), and aid SON in enacting legislation to identify lead-containing products and its manufacturers. SON will lead engagement with other federal agencies working on lead removal in high-risk communities.
SON Director-General Dr. Okeke said that to limit lead in consumer goods and paints, SON adopted global and regional standards prohibiting the production and importation of paint products with lead concentration beyond 90 parts per million.
In April 2024, SON will participate in the United States and Nigeria Bi-National Commission meeting, contributing to technical discussions on policy framework, regulation, and sensitization on lead mitigation in Nigeria.
USAID, SON Partner to Reduce Lead Poisoning and Protect Nigerian Children
Armed robbery foiled by Bauchi Police, three suspects arrested in Bauchi
By: Zagazola Makama
Three persons were arrested following a foiled armed robbery along the Bauchi–Gombe Federal Highway in Kirfi Local Government Area of Bauchi State on Jan. 26.
Sources said the incident occurred at about 12:16 a.m. when armed robbers blocked the road near Kalajanga Hamlet via Bara Village.
Officers on routine patrol responded promptly, engaging the hoodlums and forcing them to abandon their operation and flee into the surrounding bush.
The trail of the robbers led authorities to the house of one Nasiru Ibrahim of Saddiya Hamlet, where two of his children, Isya Nasiru, 20, and Umar Nasiru, 18, were also arrested in connection with the case.
Recovered items included two sticks, a touch light, three bags, a local bullet-proof shirt, face masks, two pairs of shoes, an Oppo android phone, and several local charms.
Sources say Investigations are ongoing.
Armed robbery foiled by Bauchi Police, three suspects arrested in Bauchi
Four killed, 15 injured in lone motor accident on Ibadan–Oyo Expressway
By: Zagazola Makama
Four people were killed and fifteen others injured in a lone motor accident involving a Glynlyon truck along the Ibadan–Oyo Expressway on Jan. 26.
Sources said the truck, with registration number LSD 221 YM, was coming from Kebbi State to Ogun State, carrying rocky stones as well as 23 passengers seated on the stones at the back of the vehicle.
The driver, identified as Muhammed Jibril of Adamawa State, reportedly lost control of the vehicle after hitting a pothole in the Fiditi area, causing the truck to overturn.
The heavy stones reportedly fell on the passengers, killing four instantly, while fifteen others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
The injured were rushed to General Hospital Oyo for treatment, and the bodies of the deceased were evacuated to the hospital mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
Four killed, 15 injured in lone motor accident on Ibadan–Oyo Expressway
Six people abducted by armed bandits in Maru, Zamfara State
By: Zagazola Makama
Suspected armed bandits on Jan. 25 abducted six people at gunpoint in Tauji village, Kanoma District of Maru Local Government Area, Zamfara State, while the victims were observing Isha’i prayers.
Sources said one of the victims has been identified as Yahuza Mikailu, 40, while the identities of the remaining five are yet to be confirmed.
The abductors reportedly took the victims to an unknown location.
Efforts are ongoing by security operatives to track the bandits, rescue the victims, and apprehend the perpetrators.
Six people abducted by armed bandits in Maru, Zamfara State
Armed robbery foiled by Bauchi Police, three suspects arrested in Bauchi
Four killed, 15 injured in lone motor accident on Ibadan–Oyo Expressway
Six people abducted by armed bandits in Maru, Zamfara State
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