U.S. partners Nigeria to enhance chemical security

The United States has designated Nigeria as a priority country in its efforts to promote global chemical security, recognizing the country’s strategic importance in the quest for a safer and more secure world, free from the threats of chemical weapons and related risks.

Mr. Daniel Rockniak, Senior Director of the American Chemistry Council (ACC), spoke on Wednesday in Abuja at a workshop titled, “Promoting Chemical Security for a Safer World.”

He clarified that the Responsible Care initiative, a global programme that promotes sustainable and safe chemical management, has chosen Nigeria as a priority country for implementation, and that the workshop is the start of this cooperative effort.

Rockniak stated that his objective was to engage with key stakeholders involved in chemical distribution, with the goal of exploring strategies for promoting responsible and safe practices in the handling and distribution of chemicals in Nigeria.

He said: “We have seen benefits around the world of a country and industries taking up responsible care and having a programme that identifies specific requirements.”

Rockniak said that the US aims to supplement, rather than replace, Nigeria’s existing chemical distribution regulations, and that the Responsible Care initiative can enhance and support the country’s existing chemical management programmes, ultimately leading to improved performance and safety standards in the industry.

He said that if there were challenges with regulatory processes, responsible care could help fill some of those gaps by using best practices around the world to improve their chemical management.

Dr. Patric Omokpariola, Director of Chemical Evaluation and Research at the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), noted that the idea of chemical safety has been a long-standing concern.

He said: “Everyone that has contact with chemicals and chemistry already knows that chemicals are inherently hazardous and dangerous, so we have to be kept in such a way to be safe.”

Omokpariola said that the real concept of chemical security started after Sept. 11, 2021, during the attack on the World Trade Centre.

He stated that NAFDAC has adopted the US chemical security programmes and that the country is currently implementing them.

Omokpariola explained that the concept of chemical safety was developed to ensure that citizens can handle and use chemicals in a way that minimizes risks to their health and the environment, and that the goal is to promote a culture of safe chemical management and use among the general public.

“Chemical security is to keep people safe from the harmful effects of chemicals, while chemical security, on the other hand, is to keep the chemicals safe.”

Omokpariola said that the focus on chemical safety is crucial to prevent unauthorized access to chemicals by malicious individuals and groups, including non-state actors, terrorists, and criminals, who might seek to use them for nefarious purposes, such as manufacturing explosives or chemical weapons, thereby posing a significant threat to public safety and national security.