By Segun Majekodunmi, JKNewsMedia Reporter
COMMISSIONING OF Nigeria’s first dedicated Polychlorinated Biphenyls treatment facility in Abuja has drawn commendation from Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), which described the project as a key step in national chemicals and waste management.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that the facility was established under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Environment in collaboration with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and was inaugurated on Thursday, December 18, 2025, in Abuja.
CAPPA said in a statement that the facility represents a critical infrastructure milestone in Nigeria’s national chemicals and waste management framework.
The organisation described polychlorinated biphenyls as persistent organic pollutants characterised by high toxicity, environmental persistence, bioaccumulation, and long-range environmental transport.
It stated that PCBs are scientifically linked to carcinogenicity, endocrine disruption, immunotoxicity, neurodevelopmental impairment, and reproductive disorders, and also cause significant adverse impacts on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
Improper handling, storage, or disposal results in widespread contamination of soil, surface and groundwater, and the food chain, posing serious risks to public health and ecological integrity.
CAPPA’s statement also observed that Nigeria, as a Party to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, is legally obligated to eliminate the use of PCBs in equipment, ensure the identification and labelling of PCB containing materials, and guarantee their environmentally sound management and final disposal.
“The commissioning of this treatment facility, therefore, constitutes a practical demonstration of Nigeria’s compliance with both its international treaty obligations and its domestic regulatory framework under the PCBs Control and Disposal Regulations, 2020,” the statement added.
Executive Director, CAPPA, Akinbode Oluwafemi said the establishment of the facility “validates the spirit of the National Environmental PCBs Control and Disposal Regulations, 2020, and signals the FG’s readiness to operationalise environmentally sound management systems for hazardous chemical wastes in Nigeria.”
He said the facility will strengthen national capacity for the treatment, decontamination, and final disposal of PCB containing equipment and wastes and will assist in reducing occupational exposure, preventing environmental releases, and mitigating long term public health risks.
Oluwafemi also urged the FG to ensure full, systemic compliance with all provisions of the Regulations, including controls on the manufacture, importation, distribution, use, storage, transportation, discharge, and disposal of PCBs and PCB containing products.
He further called for robust inventory development, monitoring, reporting, enforcement mechanisms, and sanctions to guarantee effective implementation.
He also urged the government to prioritise scaling up, sustained investment, technical upgrades, and long-term operational sustainability, noting that adequate funding and skilled personnel are critical to meeting national PCB phase out targets and realising the environmental and socio-economic benefits associated with the facility.
CAPPA reaffirmed its commitment to advancing environmental governance, chemical safety, and public participation, and to engaging relevant stakeholders to ensure Nigeria’s transition towards the complete elimination of PCBs in an environmentally sound and socially responsible manner.
