Environmental chemist, Tope Oyebade, has called for stronger monitoring, enforcement and accountability in Nigeria’s handling of chemicals, warning that pollution can remain hidden until it begins to affect human health, agriculture and entire communities.

Oyebade, who has worked across pharmaceuticals, regulatory compliance and pollution monitoring, said the country must begin to treat environmental chemistry as an essential part of public protection and sustainable development, rather than merely as a laboratory discipline.

In an exclusive interview with The Guardian, she said her decision to pursue environmental chemistry was shaped by her understanding of the enormous influence chemicals have on everyday life.

“Chemistry is the science that touches everything—our medicines, our food, our water, even the air we breathe,” she said.

She, however, noted that the same chemicals that make modern life possible could cause significant damage when poorly handled.

“I also saw that chemicals, if mishandled, can cause enormous harm. I chose environmental chemistry because it allows me to work at the intersection of science and society. It is not just about reactions in a lab; it is about safeguarding lives and ecosystems,” she said.

Oyebade said her experience in the pharmaceutical industry taught her the level of precision and accountability required when dealing with chemicals. According to her, “In drug production, even a minor chemical deviation can mean the difference between life-saving medicine and a dangerous product,” adding that the lesson had shaped her approach to environmental chemistry.

Drawing a parallel between pharmaceutical safety and environmental protection, she said, “If a pesticide contaminates a water source, the consequences can be just as devastating as a faulty drug batch. Both situations demand precision, accountability, and responsibility.”

On the challenges of chemical pollution in Nigeria, Oyebade identified its often invisible nature as a major concern.
“Chemicals don’t always announce themselves. Water can look clear and still be unsafe. Soil can appear fertile but contain residues that poison crops,” she said, warning that communities may not realise they are exposed until health problems emerge.

She also criticised inconsistent enforcement of environmental regulations, saying Nigeria already had laws but needed stronger implementation.

“Nigeria has laws, but enforcement is inconsistent. Industries sometimes prioritize profit over responsibility, and communities are left to bear the cost,” she said.

Oyebade pointed to a pesticide-runoff monitoring project in farming communities as an example of how environmental chemistry could directly improve lives. She said her team used advanced methods, including High-Performance Liquid Chromatography, to determine pesticide residue levels in soil and water, with the findings shared with regulators and farmers.

According to her, the intervention resulted in tighter regulatory enforcement and safer pesticide application practices among farmers. “The outcome was safer water sources and improved crop yields. That is the kind of balanced outcome environmental chemistry can deliver—supporting food security while protecting health,” she said.

Oyebade also stressed that scientific findings must translate into government action if they are to have meaningful impact. “Because data without action is meaningless,” she said.

“Environmental chemistry provides evidence—hard numbers and reproducible results. But unless policymakers act on that evidence, communities remain unprotected.”

She rejected the argument that stricter chemical regulation could undermine industrial growth, describing it as “a false choice.” According to her, “Growth that ignores chemical responsibility is not real growth—it is deferred cost,” as communities could eventually pay through polluted water, health problems and degraded farmland.

Comparing Nigeria’s environmental challenges with those of countries such as the United States, Oyebade said Nigeria urgently needed to strengthen its institutional capacity through consistent monitoring, better-equipped laboratories and trained personnel.

She said the goal should be to ensure that chemical accountability becomes embedded in systems rather than depending on individual professionals.

Oyebade called on policymakers to prioritise environmental monitoring, saying, “You cannot manage what you do not measure.” She urged government to equip laboratories, train personnel and enforce transparency, while advocating greater participation of women in environmental science and policymaking.

Looking ahead, she said her vision was for Nigeria to become a leader in chemical accountability in Africa, with every major industrial, agricultural or urban project subjected to a chemical impact assessment because, in her words, “environmental chemistry is not just a field of study; it is a safeguard for the future.”