Nigeria Seeks Immediate Solution to E-Waste Crisis

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The rising trend in device innovation in the telecommunications sector of Nigeria has resulted in tonnes of obsolete devices, thus contributing to the e-waste menace in the country.

Nigeria has been a leading importer of electronic and electrical items in the region. The volume of discarded electronics is estimated at around half a million tons a year. The informal sector is responsible for recycling of these devices. Although the sector provides job opportunities to around 100,000 people, the primitive recycling methods result in emission of harmful chemicals that are harmful to environment and human health.

The African country has taken a bold step towards sustainable management of waste by implementing necessary amendments aimed at effectively tackling the growing electronic waste.

According to Professor Aliyu Jau­ro, Director General of National Environmen­tal Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), the revised regulations makes it necessary for all manufacturers and importers of electrical equipment, e-waste collection centres, and recycling facilities to register with the e-waste Producer Responsibility Organisation Nige­ria (EPRON), thus ensuring a truly circular electronics network.

NESREA highlighted the prevailing dismal recycling rate and called for immediate solutions to tackle the problem.