Protect our children by implementing the Children’s Amendment to the Minamata Convention, SEDI calls on Nigeria government

By Isaac Eranga 

Knowing the need to protect the most vulnerable population groups from amalgam, and the agreement of Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury, to accelerate the phase down of dental amalgam use, Sustainable Environment Development Initiative (SEDI) has called on Nigeria government to implement the Children’s Amendment to the Minamata Convention, which calls for the phase-out of dental amalgam for dental treatment of deciduous teeth, patients under 15 years and pregnant and breastfeeding women. 

This call was made by the Executive Director of SEDI- Dr. Tom Aneni  while answering questions from the SOCIAL REPORTERS NEWS SERVICE in Benin city. 

According to Dr. Aneni, dental amalgam contains 45-55% mercury which is disastrous to the environment, harmful to dental workers, and a health risk to dental patients, especially children and young women, and has been proven to be toxic to tissues and organs in humans. He said Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that can damage children’s developing brains and neurological systems even before they are born.

“Dental amalgam’s mercury poisons fish which children eat, causing brain damage to some of them. It is horrible for them. We must switch to the alternative dental materials—which are non-polluting and tooth friendly.”

"The world now recognizes dental amalgam as a major environmental pollutant due to concerns about mercury-related health risks. It pollutes the air, water and land with potential to adversely affect agriculture and wildlife. Findings have indicated that mercury vapor is released during the insertion, condensation, carving, and removal of amalgam restorations. Then, any dental clinic that continues to use dental amalgam will expose patients/accompanying family members/friends and dental staff to mercury vapour. The European Parliament recently (2024) voted overwhelmingly (98%) to ban the use of dental amalgam by 1 January 2025.  This law will also ban amalgam manufacture, import, and export". 

"We therefore use this medium to join all key stakeholders in the fight against use of dental amalgam to call on all Nigeria government to end amalgam use by 30th June, 2026, and to ban amalgam imports from dental product manufacturers and non-European Western governments by 31st December, 2025.  We also urge the government to issue a public health advisory to all  dentists, dental training institutions and the public to discontinue the use of dental amalgam in children and other vulnerable populations in order to protect public health and comply with the decisions reached at COP 4.2 of the Minamata convention on mercury to which Nigeria is a signatory. 

"We also urge Nigeria government to initiate as a matter of national urgency the process of legislation to restrict the import, use and distribution of dental amalgam in Nigeria.

“The Minamata Convention on Mercury, since 2023, bans amalgam for children and for pregnant and breastfeeding women. The law must be enforced by our government—and dentists must obey it.”

"Environmental pollution is responsible for human disease in 25% of the population worldwide; but in Sub-Saharan Africa the percentage is higher at 35%. Any clinic that continues to use dental amalgam is not practicing evidence-based 21st century dentistry, which prioritizes minimally-invasive intervention such as use of mercury-free fillings that can preserve more tooth structure. 

"Despite the  ongoing concerns regarding the potential toxicity of mercury and the successful model campaigns to implement the transition to mercury-free dentistry and to demonstrate feasibility and advantages of alternatives to amalgam have been executed in Edo State, Nigeria; Enugu State, Nigeria; Odisha State, India; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province; Pakistan; Ben Arrous Region, Tunisia; and Mombassa County, Kenya, many dental institutions continue to maintain amalgam as the material of choice for undergraduate simulation laboratory and clinical dental training of dental students", said Dr. Tom Aneni. 

Also speaking,  President of the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry- Dr. Charlie Brown, said Mercury is the most vapourous of the heavy metals, and those vapors toxify the dental ofce. It is too big a risk for young women dental workers. Dental clinics should become mercury-free, now.

“The alternatives to amalgam are now technically superior to amalgam. Amalgam is a tooth unfriendly historical relic from the 19th century.

"Manufacturers are exiting making amalgam—they know they have legal risks. The amalgam supply is running out.”

“Our dental school needs to be mercury-free. Alternatives are effective and available. Mercury-free dentistry is 21st century dentistry", said Dr. Charlie Brown. 

Edo 2024 governorship election: Edo Man O' War unveil political culture of non-violence sensitization campaign

As part of effort in ensuring peace and non-violence in the forthcoming 2024 gubernatorial election in Edo State, the Edo State Command of Man O'War Nigeria has unveiled a political culture of non-violence public sensitization campaign.

The campaign was unveiled during the 2024 State Commanders Retreat and Workshop held in Benin City. 

Unveiling the political culture of non-violence public sensitization campaign for Edo 2024 Gubernatorial Election, the Edo State Commandant- Amb. Odunze C. Eberechukwu said the intention was to sensitize citizens, aspirants and political parties on the need to embrace peace before, during and after the 2024 Edo governorship elections.

Amb. Odunze C. Eberechukwu, AISLT, DSM, FTSA

"We want to see how we can sensitize these politicians and political parties that even as they go about their political aspirations, there is need to eschew violence and embrace peace. The Edo 2024 governorship elections should be a thing that other states should emulate. They should be able to set a standard for other states when it comes to electoral processes.

"The citizens need to know that a lot of the the atrocities that took place during elections were committed by the citizens, particularly young persons, and not the politicians themselves majority of whom have their families resident in overseas countries. 

"This campaign of political culture of non-violence is also intended to avert political apathy in Edo State. This is because past experiences show a situation where a lot of persons came out to vote and for one reason or the other, who they anticipated to win did not emerge, thereby feeling discouraged. We want them to know that at times you win and at times you lose.

"We intend to engage the various religious bodies, political parties, market women, youths in the street, student's groups, media houses, etc", he said.

While delivering a presentation, the Deputy State Commandant Training, Operations and Rescue- DMC Onoha Uchena Kelly highlighted the importance of Commanders and members training in the discharge of their duties. According to him, one cannot embark on a journey he or she don't know about, hence the need for training and retraining.

"Training can be both technical and vocational. The technical training include First Aid, Fire Fighting, Compass Work, Foot Tracking. While the vocational training include Agriculture, Piggery, Fisheries, Carpentary, Sewing, Tie and Dye, etc.

"You are also obligated to involve in social engagement activities such as trafic control, crowd control, environmental sanitation, etc", he said.

Presenting a paper on Leadership, the Deputy State Commandant Administration and Logistics- DMC Ernest Abebe defined leadership as the way a leader directs, coordinates, and pilot the affairs of an organisation in achieving the organisational goal(s).

Speaking about the qualities of a leader, DMC Abebe said a leader "must be accountable, courageous, honest, reliable, determined, humble, Intelligent/neat, tolerance, discipline, foresight, exemplary, loyal, God-fearing, resourceful, etc".

SEDI brands audit 2024 reveals Cocacola and Pepsi as top plastic polluters in Nigeria

... Calls on the Managements to reduce and redesign their plastic cans

By Isaac Eranga, PAMHSE

The Sustainable Environment Development Initiative (SEDI) has called on the managements of  Cocacola and Pepsi to reveal, reduce and redesign their plastic cans as part of their extended producer responsibility and catalyzing zero waste initiatives. This to SEDI, would largely help to reduce plastics in Nigeria and its deleterious effect on human health and environment.

This call was contained in a press statement released by SEDI's Communication department following the organisation's 2024 plastic brand audit exercise carried out in January, 2024.

According to the statement, "plastics were collected out door in an estate of 1000 hectares of land housing offices, houses, religious houses (Churches and mosques), schools and commercial centres. The volunteers were recruited and trained by SEDI staff following BFFP training guide. Training videos were  utilized and emphasis was laid on health and safety in the plastic collection process. 

"Detailed planning and coordination meetings were held. During the designated period, volunteers  collected plastics which were later sorted and counted. Photographs were taken and proceedings of the event were recorded for social media and the press.

"The objective of the plastic brand audit was to reveal the top polluting companies trashing our communities with their single-use plastic waste.

"The most common plastic items were: plastic PET bottles and bottle caps. The most common types of plastic were: PET and HDPE. The top polluting companies, whose brands were found on the most plastic waste, were: Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Suntory Beverage and foods, and CWAY Foods and Beverages. The plastic brand audit found Cocacola and Pepsi to be the top plastic polluters in the exercise", the statement posited.