By Our Reporter
The United States of America,USA, says it has recognized Nigeria as one of the most viable countries to promote chemical security for a safer world.
A Senior Director, America Chemical Council (ACC), Mr. Daniel Rockniak, stated this in Abuja on Wednesday during a workshop on “Promoting Chemical Security for a Safer World.”
Rockniak, noted that Nigeria is one of those countries the US has identified as a good environment for responsible care, which informed the reason for the commencement of the workshop in the country.
The ACC Senior Director explained that his mission was to interface with stakeholders handling chemical distribution about how Nigeria could handle responsible chemical distribution.
He emphasized the need to potentially identify responsible organisations to sponsor responsible care in Nigeria.
Daniel Rockniak stated that: “We have seen benefits around the world of a country and industries taking up responsible care and having a program .that identifies specific requirements.”
He said that the US government was not about to replace the regulations on chemical distribution but was out to complement it.
He noted that in a situation where a country already had chemical management programs, responsible care can help improve a company’s performance, while acknowledging that if there were challenges with regulatory processes, responsible care could help fill some of those gaps by using best practices around the world to improve their chemical management.
In his remark, Dr. Patric Omokpariola, Director, Chemical Evaluation and Research at NAFDAC, said that the concept of chemical safety had been around for many years. According to him, “Everyone that has contact with chemicals and chemistry already knows that chemicals are inherently hazardous and dangerous, so we have to be kept in such a way to be safe.”
He informed that the real concept of chemical security started after September 11, 2021, otherwise known as 9/11, as a result of the attack on the World Trade Center.
He said that NAFDAC had adopted the chemical security programs of the US government, adding that it is what is currently being implemented in the country.
He stated that this had been developed to make sure that the citizens were able to keep chemicals safe, adding that that would be necessary in order that people who have various activities, such as non-state actors, terrorists, and the rest, do not have access to chemicals.
Omokpariola noted that the steps are necessary to prevent criminal elements such as suicide bombers and terrorists, among others from using chemicals to manufacture bombs .
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