Experts in waste management, including Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC), Dr.Aminu Maida, have canvassed for proper management and recycling of electronic waste (e-waste) products in our environments to reduce health hazards caused mismanagement of waste.

The experts disclosed that toxics from mismanaged of e-waste products in residential areas could cause cancers and other related illness, especially when the waste is burnt.

The experts made these known yesterday, at ITREALMS, e-waste dialogue 2023, titled e-waste dialogue, you can recycle anything with a plug, battery or cable, held at Ikeja, Lagos.

Chief Executive Officer NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, who delivered the keynote address on the topic recycling plug, battery and cable in telecommunications sector, said NCC partnered with Nigerian Customs Service and other enforcement agencies to ensure that telecommunication companies do not import dangerous products that can endanger the health of Nigerians.

“We have a programme that encourages phone distributors and their customers to return their devices for recycling and proper management. Nigeria telecommunication companies can also adopt the same strategy”.
“This is a clarion call for all stakeholders to join hands to contribute toward reducing e-waste hazards in their locality and Nigeria at large”.
“It is not only custom we collaborate with we partner with traditional rulers, different associations to ensure consumers of electronic devices are fully protected”.

National President Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria (AWAMN), Mr. Olugbenga Adebola, said the major challenge of e-waste management is lack of proper collection.

He said government need to engage in proper regulation of electronic products coming into the country have well life span.

He said there is need to introduce what is called duty of care that is been practice in United Kingdom (UK) where everybody that generate e-waste must trace it and know where it is going to be taken to. Which means that there must be proper tracking of e-waste because some wastes are collected and they are not taking to where they would be recycled. The are taking to where they would broken into pieces without proper management and it would affect the health within the area. “What our association does is that we break the e-waste into pieces and take it out side the country for proper evaluation”.

“Process the e-waste undergo in Nigeria before taking outside the country, it has to properly done”.

He said federal government need to work hard through recycling agencies to achieve the goal. “The process of recycling starts from efficient and effective collections of the e-waste and proper tracking. Now we talk about traceability meaning that every waste must be traced. It should be taking to recycling licensed facility in order the waste effectively.

“Even bottling plastics if they are not properly managed which is the reason you see them blocking canals.
At the same it affects marine ecosystem, such as the fish and other sea-foods”.

Adebola said for instance, battery wastes some people take them some place and break them the acid in the battery would affect the soil and other natural resources in the environment. “Especially, when the batteries are not properly recycled”.

He disclosed the recycling companies are very few in Nigeria, they can only develop when government create enabling environment for these companies to thrive.
He said longevity of people here on earth depends on the healthy of the environment.
The organizer of the event and Editor In-Chief ITREALMS Media Mr. Remmy Nweke, commended the speakers adding that e-waste management is everyones’ responsibility.

He said those who have defile phones, laptops, air-conditions and other related devices should try to return them to approved e-waste collection centres, partnering with ITREALMS, for recycling and management.

E-Waste Collector, Mr. Ilyasu Buhari Yusuf said e-waste is a very good business but only challenge is that there are lots of informal collectors. Who do not understand how the waste should be managed but they are after money.

He said there is need for government to come in to sensitize these informal collectors on benefits of proper e-waste management. “It is not good when one ask the informal collectors to stop work because a lot of them feed their families through e-waste collection”.

“I operate at ALaba International Market Lagos, and I have many business partners there. I have good relationships with the informal collectors”.