By FEMI OGUNSHOLA

The United States of America says it has identified Nigeria as one of the most viable countries to promote chemical security for a safer world.

Mr. Daniel Rockniak, Senior Director, America Chemical Council (ACC), said this in Abuja on Wednesday at a workshop tagged “Promoting Chemical Security for a Safer World.”

According to him, Nigeria is one of those countries we have identified as hopefully good locations for responsible care, and that’s why we are here to start this workshop.

He said that his mission was to talk to stakeholders handling chemical distribution about how the country could handle responsible chemical distribution.

He said that It was imperative to potentially identify the responsible organisations to sponsor responsible care in Nigeria.

“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 stated that the US was not about to replace the regulations on chemical distribution in the country but to complement them.

According to him, in a country where you already have chemical management programs, responsible care can help improve a company’s performance.

He said 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.

Dr. Patric Omokpariola, Director, Chemical Evaluation and Research at NAFDAC, said that the concept of chemical safety has been around for many years.

He said: “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 said that the real concept of chemical security started after Sept. 11, 2001, what we usually call 9-11, during the attack on the World Trade Centre.

He said that NAFDAC had adopted the chemical security programs of the United States, adding that this is what’s being implemented in the country.

He stated that this had been developed to make sure that the citizens were able to keep chemicals safe.

“Chemical security is to keep people safe from the harmful effects of chemicals, while chemical security, on the other hand, is to keep the chemicals safe.

He stated that this Is so in order that people who have various activities, such as non-state actors, terrorists, and the rest of them, do not have access to chemicals.

This, he said, was to forestall criminal elements such as suicide bombers and terrorists, among others from using it to manufacture bombs. (NAN)

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