Help! e-Wastes Everywhere

Nigeria is gradually assuming the ignominy of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) otherwise e-waste capital of the world.

A whole bouquet of heavy metals, semimetals and other chemical compounds lurk inside wastes from old PCs, servers, UPS and the seemingly innocent TV and radio.

The problem with these devices occur when break – accidentally or intentionally.
Then they can leak and contaminate their immediate environment, whether that's in a landfill or on the streets where children play.

Over time, the toxic chemicals of a landfill's e-waste can seep into the ground (possibly entering the water supply) or escape into the atmosphere, affecting the health of nearby communities.
 
Since Nigeria manufactures a few of these devices, most of the e-wastes are imported.

Findings showed that export of electronic waste to Nigeria is being controlled by criminals often fooling innocent consumers into donating or selling their electronic waste for this very purpose.

Unfortunately, Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre is one of the largest dump sites for obsolete electronic items.

It is estimated that some 500 shipping containers with load equal in volume to 400,000 computer monitors or 175,000 TV sets enter Lagos monthly.

As much as 75 per cent of the shipments are classified as e-wastes.

Lagos and indeed the entire country are paying huge environmental and health costs for these outdated items.

With no facilities to recycle e-waste, the items are indiscriminately discarded around the city.

Despite efforts by some agencies in the country, obsolete electronic items which contain hazardous materials including: lead; mercury; arsenic; and cadmium liter the country.

Since the country is still battling with the problems of insecurity, political instability, and inadequate power supply and so on, it will be unwise to allow e-waste to compound the existing situation.

Nigeria must find its own solution to this menace by developing country specific laws that discourage dumping of e-wastes.

Developing countries must also encourage their companies to recycle their wastes in their countries and not ship them down to Nigeria.

Most importantly, there is need for education because most Nigerians are not aware of the health and environmental hazards posed by e-wastes.