The Federal Government has raised the alarm over an estimated 80 million Nigerian children exposed to lead poisoning, calling for stronger measures to tackle the public health and environmental threat.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja during the commemoration of the 2026 International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, themed “From Detection to Prevention.”

Salako said children, pregnant women and women of childbearing age were particularly vulnerable to lead exposure, which could cause serious and lasting damage to multiple body systems.

He noted that exposure might occur without immediate symptoms, making prevention, early detection and timely intervention critical to protecting public health.

The minister said the Federal Government had established an Inter-Agency Working Group on Lead Poisoning Prevention and Elimination to coordinate efforts among relevant ministries, departments and agencies, development partners and other stakeholders.

He identified Lagos, Ogun, Sokoto and Zamfara as states where investigations had highlighted different sources of lead exposure requiring targeted interventions.

Salako specifically cited concerns over lead exposure associated with battery recycling in Ogijo, Ogun State, and environmental investigations in Lagos, stressing the need for stronger environmental and occupational safety controls.

“We cannot treat our way out of lead poisoning; we must prevent exposure wherever possible,” he said.

The minister spoke while inaugurating Nigeria’s Five-Year Strategic Plan on Lead Poisoning Elimination (2026–2030). He added that a costed three-year national roadmap was being developed to translate the plan into specific, time-bound actions.

According to him, priorities include improved monitoring of soil, dust, water, industrial emissions and consumer products, alongside stronger regulation, enforcement and laboratory capacity.

He urged state governments, particularly those in Lagos, Ogun, Zamfara and Sokoto, to develop action plans for preventing and controlling lead exposure, while encouraging communities to identify and report potential sources of contamination.

Salako also warned against exposure from lead-based paint, contaminated soil, unsafe drinking-water pipes, lead-glazed pottery, toys, cosmetics such as traditional eyeliner known as tiro, and some traditional remedies.

He recommended preventive measures including the use of protective clothing during construction, painting and recycling activities, regular handwashing, cleaning children’s toys and wet-wiping floors and play areas instead of dry sweeping.

He further advised keeping children and pregnant women away from locations where lead could be released, including battery recycling, repair and painting sites.

The minister also encouraged the consumption of nutrient-rich foods containing calcium, iron and vitamin C, which can help reduce the body’s absorption of lead.

Speaking at the event, UNICEF consultant Dr Sarah Ango described lead poisoning as a preventable but often invisible threat to children’s health and development.

She said UNICEF was committed to ending childhood lead poisoning by 2040 and was supporting government efforts to strengthen surveillance, laboratory capacity, risk communication and policy implementation.

Ango stressed that there was no safe level of lead exposure for children, urging stakeholders to move beyond detecting contamination to addressing its root causes.

Similarly, the Principal Adviser to Resolve to Save Lives, Mrs Okeoma Obasi, said the organisation had supported surveillance systems, laboratory testing, evidence generation and public awareness initiatives.

She described prevention as the most effective and cost-efficient strategy for protecting children from lead poisoning.

The International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week is observed annually from October 18 to 24 to raise awareness about lead exposure and promote measures to eliminate its sources.