The days of dental amalgam use in dentistry in Edo State in particular and Nigeria in general appear to be numbered, thanks to a landmark resolution reached by a gathering of stakeholders in Benin City, Edo State on Tuesday, October 31, 2017.

Dental amalgam is a liquid mercury and metal alloy mixture used to fill cavities caused by tooth decay. Because it contains traces of mercury, it is said to be dangerous to health, especially children and pregnant women.

Participants at the daylong stakeholder workshop on phase-down of dental amalgam use in Edo State including government officials, dental practitioners, dental students and surgery technicians, as well as media and civil society groups resolved to end the use of the item for children in the state by 2018. The event was organised by Sustainable Environment Development Initiative (SEDI) in collaboration with the US-based World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the workshop, participants urged the federal and state governments, as well as other African nations, to end amalgam use in children under 16, along with pregnant and breast feeding women from July 1, 2018.

Participants also want government to, in compliance with the provisions of the Minamata Convention, initiate a coordinated multi-sectoral approach for an effective phase-down of use of dental amalgam in the country.

The Minamata Convention on Mercury is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury.

According to them, the authorities should update dental schools training curriculum to emphasise mercury-free dentistry, and that the implementation of a phase down work plan must also include legislative review and development of guidelines, gathering baseline data and developing the national overview.

Apart from the initiation of demonstration projects and application of best available technology and environmental practice in the management of dental amalgam, the forum likewise called for the promotion of alternatives/transition to alternatives by a concession for imported alternative restorative materials. They also underlined the need to engage the public and media as well as other stakeholders in awareness creation on the health impacts of mercury in dental  amalgam and the need for prevention of caries.

Participants also called for an urgent need for Nigeria to domesticate the Minamata Convention as soon as possible.

Mercury was described as a chemical of global concern owing to its long range atmospheric transport, its persistence in the environment once anthropogenically introduced and its ability to bio-accumulate in ecosystems.

According to participants, exposure to mercury can harm the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, cardiovascular system and immune system, particularly in women, unborn children and infants.

Participants also observed the low level of awareness among Nigerians on the dangers of mercury in dental amalgam; the wide spread use of dental amalgam in the country as the most affordable dental filling material serving the restorative health needs of Nigerians, and the limited number of dental clinics and centres to provide services for Nigeria’s teeming population.

In a goodwill message, Minister of State for Environment, Alhaji Ibrahim Jibril, represented by an Assistant Director in the ministry, Mr. Olubunmi Olusanya, said a lot of work is going on in Nigeria by the government and non-governmental organisations to ensure a phase-down of mercury in the country.

The minister, who commended the organisers of the workshop, said it would allow for an analysis of the effect of mercury in dentistry in the country.

Dean, School of Dentistry, University of Benin, Prof. O. Obuekwe, who was represented by Dr. Sunny Okeigbemen, said although dental amalgam use in dentistry has been long but that the school is ready for the shift in paradigm.

He added that the over 40-year-old institution is ready to work with NGOs to make dental amalgam history in Nigeria.

Chairman, Nigeria Dental Association (NDA), Edo State chapter, Dr. Anthony Osaguona, said the group understands the concept and is willing to key into the process, adding that the communiqué would be fully discussed in their meeting in the bid to implement it.

President, World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry, Charlie Brown, an American, said Nigeria has the largest economy and population in Africa and so the campaign started here. The World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry is a global coalition of NGOs championing the campaign for mercury-free dentistry.

He said every country needs to do what the European Union has done because every child is important. Brown stressed that amalgam in dentistry in Edo State phase-down should start now.

In her keynote paper presentation, Dr. Joan Enabulele of the School of Dentistry, University of Benin, said there are viable alternatives to dental amalgam.

Enabulele, whose paper centred on “Mercury Free Dentistry: Alternative to amalgam”, highlighted the alternatives to dental amalgam, as well as the challenges in Nigeria.

Other papers presented at the workshop include: “Minamata Convention: Dental amalgam use in Nigeria” by Mr. Olubunmi Olusanya of the Federal Ministry of Environment; “Minamata Convention: From commitments to results” by Mr. Leslie Adogame of Sustainable Research and Action for Development (SRADev Nigeria); “Understanding the role of Dental Health Workers in phasing down dental amalgam” by Dr. Sunny Okeigbemen and “Dental amalgam phase-down in Nigeria: Leveraging partnerships” by Dr. Anthony Osaguona.

Against the backdrop of the negative impacts of mercury on people’s health and the environment, the Minamata Convention on Mercury was adopted and signed by over 128 nations of the world on October, 10, 2013 at Minamata, Japan.

Nigeria has signed but is yet to ratify the convention.

Speaker, Benue State House of Assembly, Mr Terkimbi Ikyange (Ushongo/APC), has expressed confidence that the state’s Anti-Open Grazing Law will, from Wednesday, November 1 2017, come into force.

Ikyange, who stated this on Tuesday, October 31, 2017 while playing host to the Strict Movement Against Ravages in Tiv Land (SMART-Land) at the Assembly Complex in Makurdi, emphasised that the November 1 date for the commencement of the full implementation of the law was not negotiable.

“There is no going back on the full implementation of the Open Grazing Prohibition Law 2017,” he stressed.

Stressing further, the Speaker stated that the Assembly would continue to enact laws that would defend and protect the people and territorial domain of the state, reiterating that implementation of the law was sacrosanct.

Disclosing that the Assembly was aware of the threats by the Miyetti Allah Kauta Hore over the implementation of the law, he noted that the threats would be reported to appropriate agencies, and so, there was no cause for alarm.

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) had appealed to the Federal Government to prevail on the Benue State Government to extend the implementation of its Anti-Open Grazing Law scheduled to take effect from Nov. 1, 2017.

National Coordinator of the association, Alhaji Garus Gololo, said the extension of the implementation time would enable both the government and herders resolve some grey areas in the law. He, however, did not disclose the duration of the extension needed.

Ikyange encouraged SMART-Land to exercise restraint by remaining law abiding, calm and support the government in its bid to implement the law.

He appreciated them for embarking on the solidarity visit, stating that it was a show of love for their people and father land.

Earlier, National Coordinator SMART-Land, Mr Sevendagas Gbakighir, said that the visit was to register their support for the full implementation of the law.

Gbakighir further said that the association also condemned the threats by Miyetti Allah in all ramifications.

It will be recalled that the law was passed by the Assembly and signed into Law by Governor Samuel Ortom on May 22, 2017.

By Damian Daga, Makurdi

The World Bank-assisted Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) has requested the Akwa Ibom Government to pay its N500 million counterpart fund for the control of erosion in the state.

The NEWMAP National Project Coordinator, Alhaji Salisu Dahiru, made the request on Tuesday, October 31, 2017 in Uyo at the launch of project in the state.

Dahiru’s submission appears to be in line with major resolutions of the National Council on Environment (NCE) held from October 16 to 18, 2017 in Abeokuta, Ogun State that states interested in keying into NEWMAP should make the contribution. Similarly, they (the states) are to provide 12.90% of total cost of the project as well as make available base line data of erosion sites in their states.

Salisu said in Uyo that, so far, the state had paid only N50 million out of the N500 million counterpart fund for NEWMAP activities.

He added that payment of counterpart fund was necessary to boost the tempo of NEWMAP operations in the state.

He noted that NEWMAP came into being following the failure of several agencies of government to address erosion problems in the country.

The NEWMAP coordinator, however, said Akwa Ibom, earlier listed among the second phase of NEWMAP intervention activities, was on the verge of surpassing the pioneer states in the project intervention.

He commended the state government for making efforts to map out erosion sites across the 31 local government areas of the state with aerial photographs.

The state governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, who launched the project, promised to support it by fulfilling the conditions for its successful implementation.

The governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Mr Moses Ekpo, urged communities benefitting from NEWMAP intervention to cooperate with the project team.

He said Akwa Ibom was in dire need of support from the World Bank because of its peculiar environmental challenges such as perennial flooding and gully erosion.

“I want to assure the World Bank that as a state that is faced with several environmental challenges, we will endeavour to meet the prerequisites to enable the state to benefit from financing.

“I have directed Ministries, Departments and Agencies in the state as represented in NEWMAP Steering and Technical Committees to give the project the necessary support,” Ekpo submitted.

In his address, the state’s Commissioner for Environment, Dr Iniobong Essien, said a total of
1,000 critical gully erosion sites had been documented in the state.

Essien said the execution of control measures in identified erosion sites across the 31 local government areas of the state would gulp N150 billion.

The commissioner said the State Steering and Technical Committees for NEWMAP were inaugurated in February this year.

Essien added that, so far, NEWMAP had identified 10 critical gully erosion sites for immediate intervention in the state.

He disclosed that affected households would need resettlement to allow full implementation of the palliative measure and permanent intervention in line World Bank guidelines.

The launch of NEWMAP intervention was done at Etim Umana in Uyo, one of the critical gully erosion sites in the state capital.

Other severe sites in the state capital included St.Luke’s Hospital gully erosion sites and IBB Avenue flood site.

By Bassey Bassey