e-Waste: Creating Awareness On Recycling Of Second Hand Electronic Devices In Nigeria

Rise in the importation of electronic devices is currently expanding recycling business across the country.
Today, advocacy has encouraged the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) to publish list of approved recycling entities in the country.

The Group Executive Editor, ITREALMS Media group, the organisers of the annual ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue since year 2020 and Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum series on Internet Governance since 2009, Sir Remmy Nweke, in a chat with me on the lucrative nature of e-waste management said more Nigerians are making in-road into the business.

Nweke says for a developing country like Nigeria with an avalanche of technicians as seen at the Computer village around the country, those imported devices are refixed and reused for longer time and years, thereby extending the end life of such devices. After their lifespan those electronic devices are now properly disposed through trained collectors.

He said over the years ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue has achieved increased enlightenment on issues around electronic waste in Nigeria and hopes to continue to create awareness on latest trends by bringing stakeholders to share best practices, especially on consumer or end-user education so as to make our environment cleaner.

According to him, some who have foresight, e-waste and waste business in general are known to be lucrative, thus attractive, because whatever you are disposing is worth a million for someone who has not used that device before. Hence pre owned market for electronic devices will continue to thrive.

Though, he said, currently e-waste entrepreneurs are few when compared with the population of Nigeria. Nweke explained that one of the enhancement his advocacy has brought to bear on the annual ITREALMS e-Waste Dialogue is an introduction of a day collection centre as side event in collaboration with selected members of E-waste Producer Responsibility Organisation Nigeria (E-PRON).

“So, we encourage endusers to take advantage of this scheme, while urging collectors to make it more attractive by offering end users something worthy of the devices so as to further inspire them to buy into the e-Waste best practices.”
For Adenola Ogunkoya, who runs CNSSL E-Waste Management Service in Lagos, the business is paying off but more advocacy and training is required to boost the skills of those in the business.
Also, Mr. Patrick Inoh, of E-Terra Technologies Ltd and Ifeanyi, Maduagwu of the Association of
Vendors Of Used Computers, called for government intervention to support what they are currently doing.