Environmentalists and other stakeholders gathered in Lagos, recently, to present recommendations for a national plan for the environmentally sound management of used oils in the country as well as suggest ways for the development of used oils partnership in the African region.

This Day in Lagos reports that they also decided on follow up action for the development of the partnership initiative in the African region, to disseminate these recommendations throughout the region. They also decided on what follow up action is needed for the draft national plan prepared under the partnership initiative for the environmentally sound management of used oils, taking into consideration the anticipated regional partnership for Africa as well as local partnerships in the country.

The development of a national action plan for the environmentally sound management of used oils in Nigeria is at the instance of the United Nations Environment Programme/Basal Convention Secretariat, Geneva, Switzerland, which intends to use the nation‘‘s project in the African region. The problem of used oil as a threat to the environment and human health was recognised at the World Environment Conference held in Kyoto, Japan in 1997, which confirmed the drastic need to reduce petroleum waste discharged into the environment.

Studies show that less than 45 percent of available waste oil is being collected generally while the remaining 55 percent is either misused or discarded by the end user in the environment causing needless damage to streams, ground water, lakes, and the oceans; and waste a valuable non-renewable resource with potential adverse impacts.

Used lubricating oil is "any petroleum-based lubricating oil which, through use, storage or handling, has become unsuitable for the purpose for which it was originally signed; in particular used oil from combustion engines and transmission systems, as well as mineral oils for machinery, turbines and hydraulic systems".

"Mismanagement of used lubricating oil or crankcase oil is a serious but little-recognized, environmental problem," said Professor Oladele Osibanjo, Director, Basal Convention Regional Coordinating Centre for Africa for Training and Technology Transfer, at the final technical workshop on the Assessment and Recycling of Used Oils in Nigeria and Africa, organised by the Federal Ministry of Environment in conjunction with the University of Ibadan

Developed regions of the world like the United States of America and Europe, among others, have national and regional management plans for the environmentally sound management of used oil, but such plans are non-existent in developing economies of Africa because of lack of public perception of used oil as a valuable resource, yet billions of litres of used oil are discharged into the environment in the region, said Professor Osibanjo