By Ojugbele Omotunde
Nigeria’s growing need for electronic devices is contributing to the global problem of e-waste disposal. Discarded computers and other electronic equipment (EEE) are generating hazardous waste in landfills, which is a problem for developing countries where inexpensive equipment can be a lifeline for the impoverished. The majority of people on the planet still dispose of EEE in landfills.
Up to 90% of the world’s electronic waste, estimated to be worth $19 billion, is reportedly illegally traded or dumped annually, according to the UN Environment Programme. Africa used to produce 44.7 million tonnes of electronic waste annually, but that number has since dropped to just 2.2 million tonnes.
Ghana and Nigeria are two of the main destinations for large-scale shipments of electronic waste from the US and Europe to Africa. Nigeria is disproportionately affected by WEEE, producing more than 1.1 million tonnes of e-waste per year. Nigeria faces serious issues with the usability of imported WEEE because a large portion of it is no longer reusable and poses a risk to the environment. Alhaji Ibrahim Jibril, Nigeria’s Minister of State for the Environment, highlighted the problem and environmental risk associated with e-waste, classifying it into two groups: newly imported electronic waste and used equipment.
According to Dr. Leslie Adogame, Executive Director of Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development, e-waste is a business that affects people’s health as well as their finances.
Imports of e-waste into Nigeria have increased significantly, from 56,000 tonnes in 2015 to 288,000 tonnes in 2017. This is because a lax port regulation framework permits the unauthorized importation of reconditioned or used electronics without conducting additional testing. A lot of goods are shipped in containers labeled as personal items under false pretenses, hidden behind functional goods, or untested electronics. Importers, recyclers, and scavengers on landfills can all profit from this imported waste, but improper disposal puts public health at danger.
Nigeria, a party to the Basel Convention since 1991, has laws governing the handling, disposal, and cross-border transportation of electronic waste. The Bamako Convention was signed in 1998, but uncontrolled e-waste still enters the nation. Nigeria has not yet ratified this deal, which was signed by several African countries and aims to forbid the importation of hazardous waste into the continent.
Interpol and Nigeria’s National Environmental Standard Regulatory and Enforcement Agency (NESREA) are collaborating to stop the illegal exchange of e-waste and implement an appropriate registration procedure for imported goods. In order to efficiently handle battery and electronic waste streams, the organization intends to establish specific recycling facilities. In order to shift accountability onto producers, the Nigerian government announced the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy in 2016. As part of this policy, businesses must set up a take-back or buy-back program and register with a Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) in order to pay for environmental management expenses throughout the life cycle of their products. The goal of this action is to transfer the burden to the nation’s producers.
Nigeria’s e-waste problem is being addressed by government efforts, but the implementation and enforcement of the EPR programme are slow due to NESREA’s insufficient capacity and lack of official presence in 10 out of 36 states. As a result, progress is still anaemic. Some companies are taking action, such as Hinckley Recycling, which was licensed by NESREA and the Lagos State Environmental Agency in 2017.
Hinckley, based in Lagos, Nigeria, offers collection and recycling services for companies with obsolete or unwanted Electronic Waste (EEE). The company recovers redundant items, destroys confidential data, and manages WEEE recycling. It processes non-hazardous waste materials in its Lagos facility, which has a processing capacity of 30,000 tonnes per year. Untreated hazardous waste is dismantled and packaged for shipment to other recycling facilities.
The Nigerian Government needs to take more action to ensure responsible recycling of WEEE due to informal processing routes and reluctance of some Nigerians to give their waste for collection without financial compensation. Business Development Manager for Hinckley, Belinda Osarugue Osayamwen, believes that many Nigerians are not ready to give their e-waste for proper collection and recycling due to expecting financial value.
However, the availability of foreign export markets for refurbished electronic devices and the presence of informal expertise demonstrate the potential for a healthy and responsible WEEE recycling industry. With stronger government direction and expertise from recycling companies like Hinckley, WEEE can be turned into wealth for everyone.