Experiences with GHS Capacity Building and Implementation in Nigeria

1. Experiences with GHS Capacity Building and Implementation in Nigeria PRESENTED BY NATIONAL GHS SECRETARIAT FEDERAL MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, HOUSING & URBAN DEVELOPMENT, NIGERIA MAY 2008

2. National Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling Of Chemicals (GHS) BACKGROUND: The GHS has the ultimate goal of ensuring that information on chemical hazards (such on labels and safety data sheets) is made available to workers and consumers in a harmonized and comprehensible format in countries around the world. Communicating the hazards of chemicals to workers and the public is a key foundation for protecting human health and the environment. Nigeria was supported by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), as a pilot country to undertake the GHS National Capacity Building Project with the overall goal of strengthening capacities to implement the GHS by the year 2008.

3. National Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling Of Chemicals (GHS) Project (Contd.) • The objectives of project are to: • enhance the protection of people and the environment by providing an internationally comprehensive system for chemical hazard communication; • provide a recognized framework for those countries without an existing system; • reduce the need for duplicative testing and evaluation of chemicals; and • facilitate international trade in chemicals whose hazards have been properly assessed and identified on an international basis.

4. PROJECT ACTIVITIES i. Preparatory Phase: • Establishment of a National GHS Implementation Committee (NGIC) for the purpose of advising in matters of project implementation and drafting laws/regulations; with the Federal Ministry of Environment, Housing & Urban Development (FMEHUD) as the National Project Coordinator and Secretariat.

5. PROJECT ACTIVITIES (Contd.) • Composition of Committee • Federal Ministries of; Environment, Housing & Urban Development, Health, Labour, Agriculture & Water Resources, Transportation, Commerce &Industry, Justice, Finance, Foreign Affairs, • Nigerian Customs • National Environmental Standards & Enforcement Regulatory Agency (NESREA), National Agency for Food & Drug Administration & Control (NAFDAC), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Consumer Protection Council (CPC), Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria (IPAN), Basel Convention Regional Coordinating Centre, Federal Road Safety Commission, Nigerian Red Cross Society, Manufacturers’ Association of Nigeria (MAN), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Authority (NIMASA), National Planning Commission (NPC), Institute of Chartered Chemists of Nigeria (ICCON), CROP-Life Nigeria, NGO and media representatives.

6. PROJECT ACTIVITIES (Contd.) • Lead government Ministries were designated for each of the four GHS sectors made up of transport, industrial production, agriculture and consumer products. Lead Actors were also designated for capacity building activities within the three major GHS groups

7. PROJECT ACTIVITIES (Contd.) • Phase 1 – Situation/Gap Analysis May – September 2005) – This described the existing national chemicals hazard communication infrastructure • Major activities - review of the existing national profile on chemicals management infrastructure through multi- stakeholders involvement - comprehensibility test • Major gaps identified include: • Lack of national legislation for GHS implementation. • No clear ministerial responsibilities provided by the existing legal framework to cover all four sectors of GHS, • The current institutional arrangements do not ensure clear responsibilities across relevant government ministries with resultant overlaps of functions within the different sectors. • Very low level knowledge of government personnel on the legal and technical aspects of GHS implementation for industrial production • Inadequate funding to ensure appropriate government action in facilitating necessary regulatory reforms and initiatives; • Lack of necessary capacity for effective enforcement of relevant national regulations on chemical hazard communication based on the GHS for industrial workplace.

8. Project activities - Recommendations • establishment of chemical pollution response and poison-control centers through the ecological funds,in all the six geopolitical zones • Delineation of functions and streamlining of mandates among the various ministries/agencies regulating chemicals; • establishment of a platform for cooperation and coordination of activities amongst the key ministries and agencies regulating chemicals at the highest level of Authority,; • Fostering of synergies and partnerships among the relevant regulatory and civil societies • simplify and translate GHS and SDS into different local languages at the national level • display of hazard communication elements as appropriate • reduce the Comprehensibility Testing timing by drastically amending the questionnaire

9. Phase 2: ‘Targeted GHS Capacity Development’ a. National GHS Awareness Raising/Training Workshop: to raise awareness about the GHS amongst stakeholders groups and develop elements of the National Strategy for GHS Implementation, consistent with national circumstances and priorities Recommendations: • Development of a harmonized GHS-compliant National Guidelines and National legislation that are amendable to national circumstances to replace the numerous sectoral legislations on chemicals. • Regulatory agencies like the customs service should be empowered through training programme, capacity building, etc to enforce GHS-compliant labels and hazard communication on imported/exported products b. Development of Draft GHS Implementing Legislation: Appointment of a legal consultant by the Federal Ministry of Environment, Housing and Urban Development to produce a Harmonized Hazardous Chemicals Bill

10. Phase 2 (Contd.) Capacity Building and Strategy Development in Industry: Recommendations: - •  i.Advocacy visits be embarked on, to the management staff of industrial facilities to sensitize them about GHS and seek their support for its implementation at facility level. • ii.The sectoral self-monitoring mechanism in industries should be broadened to include Organization of Safety Health and Environment (SHE) Week, GHS Comprehensibility Testing, assessment of GHS Compliance and grant of incentives through award of laurels for excellent performance, as part of sectoral Programmes. • iii.SHE Monitoring Systems be established at factory level, as part of safety assurance mechanism • Capacity Building and Strategy Development in the Civil society Groups: • Recommendations • i.Civil Societies should embark upon independent data generation on Chemical management, with technical and financial supports from the Government and International organizations like UNITAR, etc. • ii. Licensing of Chemical dealers and training of staff should be introduced as requirements for dealing in sale of chemicals in Nigeria • iii.Enforcement mechanism and collaboration be strengthened among regulatory bodies, while concerted efforts be made to make GHS Implementation achievable by year 2008

11. Phase 3:Development of a Strategic Plan (“Road Map”) for National GHS Implementation by 2008 • Major activities • -   Organization of a National Review Workshop on GHS Implementation Strategy and Harmonized National Chemicals Management Legislation held in Abuja-Nigeria, from 24 – 26 July, 2007. • -Convene of the Core Group of technical and legal experts to further review the draft Chemical management bill held in Abuja on 13th September 2007.

12. Phase 3 (contd) • Recommendations - Training/education, seminars, workshops, symposia for sectoral stakeholders to step up awareness on chemical safety and GHS - Strengthening of enforcement mechanism and collaboration among regulatory bodies - The harmonized legislation on chemicals management in Nigeria should be developed as a matter of urgency --- Funding mechanism should be devised for sustainable financing of the National GHS Implementation Strategy within the four major sectors and all relevant actors in the realization of sound national chemicals management and protection of the Nigerian environment and citizenry.

13. Results/ Gains - Improved coordinating mechanisms within the chemicals management infrastructure through the active role of the National GHS implementation Committee comprising representatives of relevant ministries and stakeholder groups; - Identification of gaps in chemicals management infrastructure - Integration of sectoral stakeholders into the national decision making process at every stage of the national GHS project implementation. - Ownership of project by stakeholders, which facilitated mobilization of support and catalyzing of partnerships for, coordinated national activities in chemicals management and awareness raising and capacity development for sound national chemicals management amongst sectoral stakeholders. - Drafting of a Comprehensive National Chemicals Management Legislation - Adoption of a Resolution of Commitment among national stakeholders - Adoption of the National Implementation Strategy

14. Overview of the National Implementation Strategy Purpose:Developed to provide a basis to implement the GHS in Nigeria. The Strategy serves as a framework within which all stakeholders can play their appropriate roles in the implementation of the GHS. Scope:Addresses the gaps identified in the present system of classification and communication of hazardous chemicals in Nigeria in order to comply with all the requirements of the GHS. Defines and provides details on the objectives, activities, responsibilities, timeframes and an indication of associated resources required for its implementation. Contains typical elements of chemicals management system such as legislation, institutional matters, training, awareness raising, and technical infrastructure.

15. Overview of NIS – Contd. • Principles: Based on the following key principles: • ·An integrated life-cycle approach; • ·Harmonisation across the value chain; and • ·Using comprehensive and harmonized chemical management legislation as the overarching instrument for GHS implementation, in Nigeria. • Main objectives: • - An approach to provide for the full implementation of the GHS in Nigeria by 2008 • - Ensure an integrated life-cycle approach which will be harmonised across the chemicals value chain; • - Ensure continued alignment with international trends in the further development of the GHS; and • - Ensure that national law prescribes compliance with the GHS requirements.

16. Overview of NIS – contd. • Benefits: • Protection of the citizenry against incessant incidences of chemical-related illness and injuries, • Realization of voluntary compliance among chemical users   • Strengthening of legal, administrative and enforcement frameworks to meet the exigency of the time. • Well-informed citizenry in chemicals hazard communication signs and symbols. • Basis for the Strategy and Implementation Activities: The NIS is based on the findings of the Situation and the Gap Analysis with identification and assessment of implementation issues and options. • Identification of implementation activities were then based on assessment. • Activities were structured within a framework of the typical elements of a chemicals management system, and incorporated in the sectoral work-plan prepared by stakeholders according to the four sectors affected by the GHS i.e. Agriculture, Transport, Industrial workplace and consumer products

17. DRAFT CHEMICALS MANAGEMENT BILL WITH GHS REQUIREMENTS Designed to use existing organizational infrastructure under the Federal Ministry of Environment, Housing & Urban Development (FMEH&UD) towards: • Providing for a co-coordinated approach towards sound chemicals management by properly defining roles and mechanisms for feedbacks, information sharing, data management etc. • Making provision for effective enforcement of chemicals legislations by carrying along all the relevant regulatory agencies in a co-ordinated manner. • Allowing for the issuance of National Regulations and Standards on various aspects of Chemicals Management e.g. Classification of Chemicals, Labeling, Packaging, Safety Data Sheets, Register of Employees, Advertisement, Transport and Storage etc. • Allowing for the domestication of the GHS provisions and models through the input of all stakeholders.

18. Challenges to GHS capacity building and implementation • Inadequate funding • Appropriate Legislative framework with GHS requirements • Efficient coordianting mechanisms among key actors and sectors for the GHS • Massive buy-in by all stakeholders into the immense benefits offered by the GHS. • mainstreaming the GHS as a key and basic tool in protecting the environment and citizenry from the adverse effects of improper handling of hazardous chemicals   • Strengthening partnerships and ensuring coherence in national chemicals management framework through the adopted NIS

19. CONCLUSION The gain from the success of the GHS Project is the initiation and development of targeted actions/programmes for GHS implementation within the public and private sectors and for active participation of civil society/ labour organizations This has also been very useful in raising awareness on chemicals hazard communication including its potential benefits for sustainable development. There is however an urgent need to give priority to strengthening capacity for effective GHS implementation within the agriculture and transportation sectors – whihc are yet to be covered.

20. Thank You for Listening.