Concerns over the safety of food, soil and other aspects of Nigeria’s environment have intensified, with an environmental health expert warning that poor waste management and unsafe chemical practices could expose communities to hazardous substances.

Professor Adewale Taiwo, an Environmental Health and Toxicology specialist at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, said the growing presence of pollutants such as lead, cadmium and chromium required urgent attention from regulators, industries, farmers and other stakeholders.

He warned that the danger was not limited to polluted industrial sites, as contaminants released into the environment could eventually find their way into agricultural soil and, from there, enter food consumed by the public.

Taiwo made the disclosure while speaking at an environmental sustainability workshop, where he presented a paper titled, “Health, Safety and Environment, Circular Economy and Environmental Sustainability.”

According to him, the careless handling and disposal of industrial waste remains a major pathway through which dangerous substances can accumulate in the environment. He said elevated levels of cadmium and chromium in soil could have significant implications for human health, particularly where contaminated land is used for food production.

The professor also drew attention to practices surrounding food preservation and production, expressing concern that some substances were reportedly being used in ways that could compromise food safety.

“We are standing in serious danger of food poisoning. Even cement is now being used as preservatives for some of our crops,” he said.

He further listed lead and certain chemicals used in products such as perfumes among substances that could pose health concerns when exposure occurs at unsafe levels. Some of these chemicals, he explained, can persist in the environment, meaning their effects may extend beyond the immediate point of use or disposal.

Rather than leaving industries and farmers to determine their own safety thresholds, Taiwo urged operators to work within scientifically established limits for potentially harmful substances.

He said international benchmarks developed by bodies including the World Health Organisation and the United States Environmental Protection Agency could serve as important references for managing chemical exposure.

At the same time, he argued that Nigeria needs a regulatory framework that reflects its own circumstances. According to him, the country should develop locally relevant reference doses that take into consideration its environmental conditions, agricultural methods, patterns of chemical use and public health realities.

The discussions at the workshop also extended beyond pollution and chemical exposure to the broader question of how Nigeria can reduce waste and use its resources more sustainably.

Advertisement

Professor John Oyedepo, who examined the transition from a linear economy to a circular model, identified financing as one of the major barriers to the adoption of greener economic practices.

Speaking on “From Linear Economy to Circular Economy Solutions: Green Financing and Accessing Climate Funds,” Oyedepo said businesses would require better access to green financing and climate funds if they were to make meaningful investments in sustainable production.

He pointed to recycling, improved waste management and more efficient use of raw materials as practical areas where companies could begin the transition, noting that materials regarded as waste could instead be recovered and reused within the production cycle.

The approach, he said, could simultaneously reduce pressure on the environment and encourage businesses to become more efficient in their use of resources.

The regulatory side of the discussion was reinforced by the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, NESREA, which said compliance with environmental requirements remained essential for sustainable economic activity.

The agency’s Zonal Director, Mrs Angela Iwobi, said the workshop was organised by NESREA in partnership with Accappocco Global Services Ltd. to help companies and other operators understand changing environmental requirements and strengthen their Health, Safety and Environment management systems.

Iwobi said businesses could not afford to treat environmental protection as a secondary responsibility, particularly as pollution and poor environmental practices continue to create risks for communities.

She stressed the importance of adopting green-economy principles as part of efforts to reduce pollution and improve environmental conditions, particularly across the South-South zone.

The NESREA official also made it clear that compliance would remain a regulatory obligation, warning companies and other operators that the agency would enforce applicable environmental standards.

Beyond enforcement, she said the workshop was intended to give operators practical knowledge that would help them understand emerging standards, improve compliance and strengthen environmental management within their organisations.