FG Moves to Curb 1.1M tonnes of Yearly Generated E-Waste

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Nigeria has geared up to the task of curbing about 1.1 million tonnes of electronic waste otherwise known as e-waste it generates annually as it is coming up with a regulatory framework to deal with the menace. The country had in 2019 raised the issues of sanitising the environment, trying to make efforts by commencing activities that would result in the formulation of a regulation on e-waste in Nigeria. The EVC of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, had hinted at the recent effort by the Commission based on the global concern for the regulation of e-waste which he said is two-pronged.

He said: “First, is the acute awareness of the hazardous properties and the potential risk to human health, as well as their capacity to degrade the environment. Secondly, is the business case and vast potential for wealth creation in recycling e-waste into more benign and productive uses. In line with its regulatory mandate and to keep pace with efforts at managing e-waste-related issues, in a manner that reduces cases of indiscriminate burning of electronic devices with the potential for increased carbon emission in the environment, the Commission has been working, with other relevant agencies, to develop a Regulations on E-waste.”

He said the regulations would represent a holistic intervention aimed at providing clarity and delimiting the responsibilities of various stakeholders in the e-waste value chain within the telecommunications industry. “While the proposed regulations are industry-specific, they, nonetheless, key into other initiatives at national and international levels,” he said. It was gathered that the country lost about N64.2 billion to e-waste as it lacks capacity in e-waste management. According to TRT World, 500 thousand containers of e-waste enter Nigeria every month, opening people up to devastating health challenges as exposure to e-waste has various life-threatening consequences, such as DNA damage, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. The finding showed that e-waste generation in Nigeria has reached an alarming state and has continued to rise.

It was discovered that Nigeria generated 461.3-kilo tonnes (KT) in 2019 ranking the highest in West Africa and second after Egypt on the continent. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU), a United Nations arm in charge of global telecommunications, noted that approximately 60,000 to 71,000 t of used electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) were imported yearly into Nigeria through the two main ports in Lagos since 2015. While this importation lasted in Nigeria, ITU noted that specific e-Waste legislation on the management of it is still lacking in most African countries. According to it, few countries have legislation published in Africa, these include Egypt, Ghana, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Cameroon, and Côte d’Ivoire. However, it said enforcing the legislation is very challenging. Further checks showed that components of e-waste include large household appliances (42 per cent); IT communications technology (34 per cent); consumer electronics (14 per cent), while others account for 10 per cent. It was, however, gathered that in Nigeria, the largest form of e-waste, which is a computer and its accessories, constitute about 60 per cent, while mobile devices follow with 25 per cent. Others like photocopiers and other office equipment account for the remaining 15 per cent. The ITU, in its Global E-waste Monitor 2020, said e-waste rose by 21 per cent in the last five years, with a record 53.6 million metric tonnes (Mt). It noted that e-Waste discarded products, including a battery or plugs such as computers and mobile phones generated, went up 9.2 Mt in five years as of 2019. Breaking down the 461.3kt into value, the Chief Executive Officer, E-Terra Technologies Limited, a private end-to-end electronic waste management company in Lagos, Dr. Ifeanyi Ochonogor, had said “1mt equals 2,000Ib. Therefore, 461,300mt = 922,600,000Ib.1 scrap computer currently cost $0.18. Therefore, 922,600,000Ib of scrap computers is worth $166,068,000. So, 461.3k of e-waste appears to be worth $166,060,000.” With a population of over 200 million people, Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country.

 Courtesy: www.newtelegraphng.com