Lead-acid batteries continue to serve as a critical energy storage solution in Nigeria and other transitioning economies, driven by expanding vehicle ownership, decentralized energy systems, and emerging technologies. While public and media attention often focuses on Lithium-ion batteries, lead-acid is still the dominating type with continuous growth rates in many world regions especially Africa. However, when the end-of-life management of used lead-acid batteries (ULABs) is done in an improper way, it presents serious environmental and public health risks, with unsound recycling practices significantly contributing to release of hazardous substances and human exposure to lead. There is increasing evidence that lead exposure from unsound battery recycling is a major and often underestimated health risk for the population in low- and middle-income countries.
These insights offer replicable and scalable models for improving ULAB management