Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have intensified calls for urgent government action to eliminate the use of dental amalgam in Nigeria, urging key federal authorities to adopt a clear phase-out policy ahead of 2030.
The advocacy follows sustained campaigns for mercury-free dentistry in the country. Acting under the umbrella of the World Alliance for Mercury-free Dentistry, the organisations formally wrote to four top federal officials on June 2, pressing for decisive policy measures to end the use of mercury-based dental materials.
The letters, sent via email, were addressed to the Minister of Environment, Alhaji Balarabe Lawal; the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye; the Chief Dental Officer, Dr Gloria Uzoigwe; and the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim.
In the coordinated outreach, Dr Tom Aneni of the Sustainable Environment Development Initiative, Dr Leslie Adogame of Sustainable Research and Action for Environment, Prof. Godwin Arotiba of Dentists for a Mercury-Free Africa, and Joy Mamah of the Heroine Women Foundation each addressed the respective officials, calling for a unified national response.
The CSOs emphasised the need for deliberate policy action to phase out mercury-based dentistry across Nigeria by 2030, citing significant health and environmental risks associated with dental amalgam.
Speaking on the development, Dr Gilbert Kuepouo, Founder of the African Center for Environmental Health in Yaoundé, underscored the urgency of the demand, noting Nigeria’s leadership role in shaping environmental policies across Africa.
He stated that the country has a unique opportunity to lead the continent toward safer dental practices, stressing that the coordinated letters represent a strong call to action directed at critical government institutions.
Also lending his voice, President of the World Alliance for Mercury-free Dentistry, Charlie Brown, highlighted the dangers of dental amalgam, describing it as a substance composed of approximately 50 percent mercury—a known neurotoxin.
According to him, exposure to mercury poses serious risks, particularly to children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers, while also endangering dental professionals and the environment.
Brown argued that the continued use of amalgam is no longer justifiable, given the availability of safer, effective, and affordable alternatives in Nigeria.
He referenced the Minamata Convention on Mercury, an international treaty adopted by over 140 countries, including Nigeria, which calls for the global reduction and eventual elimination of mercury use.
“Amalgam is an environmental menace and a major public health risk. It is outdated and no longer aligned with modern dental practices,” he said, adding that global regulations aim to end its trade by 2034, with African nations encouraged to act sooner.
The CSOs further recommended that the concerned federal authorities convene a multi-stakeholder meeting to deliberate on the issue and establish a definitive timeline for phasing out dental amalgam in Nigeria.
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They also called for immediate implementation of policies restricting the use of mercury-based fillings in vulnerable populations, particularly children under 15, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers.
The organisations stressed that achieving a mercury-free healthcare system is essential to meeting global sustainable development goals by 2030, urging swift transition to safer dental materials to protect public health, the environment, and healthcare workers.
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