The Effects of Electronic Waste (E-Waste) in Southern Nigeria: A Growing Environmental and Public Health Crisis !
The rapid growth of electrical and electronic equipment in today’s digital world has led to an alarming surge in electronic waste (e-waste), making its proper management more urgent than ever. Traditional Rulers, being long term stakeholders and custodians of their ancestral lands, have to be more concerned about the long term environmental sustainability. They don’t have the luxury of professional politicians who are short term stakeholders tied to election cycles, and can defer solutions for short term expediency.
According to the United Nations, e-waste refers to any discarded electrical or electronic product with a plug or battery, which often contains hazardous substances such as mercury, lead, and cadmium that pose serious threats to human health and the environment.
Common e-waste items include old smartphones, laptops, tablets, televisions, fridges, air conditioners, broken chargers, disposable vapes, microwaves, smart devices, IoT gadgets, electric toothbrushes, and batteries. Also referred to as Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), e-waste is a complex and highly toxic waste stream that is growing faster than any other globally.
Toxicity and Environmental Impact
E-waste contains hazardous materials including lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, beryllium, and brominated flame retardants, which can leach into the soil and water, infiltrate the food chain, and cause long-term environmental contamination. These substances have been linked to a wide range of health issues, including birth defects, cancer, neurological damage, respiratory disorders, and reproductive system failures.
Once released, these contaminants persist for decades, accumulating in ecosystems and human tissues alike.
Global Trends and Nigeria’s Role
Driven by technological advancement, planned obsolescence, consumerism, and poor recycling systems, e-waste has become a global challenge. The Global E-Waste Monitor 2024 reports that the world generated an estimated 62 million tonnes of e-waste in 2022, with projections rising to 82 million tonnes by 2030. Shockingly, over 75% of e-waste is not recycled but ends up in landfills or informal dumpsites.
To avoid the high cost of environmentally responsible recycling, developed nations often illegally export e-waste to developing countries—including Nigeria—under the guise of donations, repairable electronics, or scrap. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Nigeria is the largest importer of used electronics in Africa.
Unfortunately, Nigeria lacks the infrastructure, regulatory enforcement, and technical capacity to manage this influx. As a result, the sector is dominated by informal recyclers using crude methods such as open burning, acid leaching, manual disassembly, and dumping, all of which expose workers and communities to harmful substances.
Health Implications
Improper e-waste recycling disproportionately affects children, pregnant women, and people living near dumpsites. Exposure can occur through inhalation, ingestion, or skin absorption.
Lead, once absorbed, accumulates in the brain, kidneys, liver, and bones, leading to intellectual disabilities, behavioral disorders, organ damage, and in severe cases, death.
Improper e-waste recycling disproportionately affects children, pregnant women, and people living near dumpsites. Exposure can occur through inhalation, ingestion, or skin absorption.
Lead, once absorbed, accumulates in the brain, kidneys, liver, and bones, leading to intellectual disabilities, behavioral disorders, organ damage, and in severe cases, death.
In children, high lead exposure can reduce IQ and impair brain development.
In pregnant women, it can result in premature birth or low birth weight.
Mercury exposure can cause memory loss, kidney damage, and difficulty concentrating.
In addition, the open burning of electronics releases persistent organic pollutants (POPs) like dioxins and furans, which are linked to cancer, endocrine disruption, and immune system damage. These pollutants can travel long distances, impacting areas far beyond the pollution source.
Climate and Cybersecurity Risks
Improper disposal also contributes to climate change, as crude recycling methods release greenhouse gases such as CO₂, methane, hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
Another overlooked risk is data security. Many discarded electronics (hard drives, phones, memory cards, etc.) still contain sensitive personal or corporate data. Simple deletion or factory resets do not erase data permanently, leaving room for data breaches by cybercriminals. These breaches can cause reputational damage, financial loss, or even operational shutdowns for businesses.
Towards Sustainable E-Waste Management
Addressing the e-waste crisis requires a multi-stakeholder and systems-based approach:
Government Action:
Develop and enforce robust regulatory frameworks, especially on imports.
Ban the entry of non-functional or obsolete electronics into the country
Provide monitoring and compliance mechanisms.
Public Awareness & Behavior Change:
Educate consumers on responsible consumption and proper disposal methods.
Promote repairability, reusability, and recycling habits.
Integration of Informal Recyclers:
Train and formalize informal workers, many of whom operate without safety gear or environmental knowledge.
Offer incentives for safe recycling practices.
Strengthening Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR):
Enforce EPR policies that compel manufacturers, importers, and distributors to take responsibility for the take-back, recycling, and safe disposal of the electronics they produce or sell.
Secure Data Destruction:
Mandate certified data destruction processes as part of e-waste recycling to reduce cybersecurity risks.
Conclusion
E-waste is more than just discarded gadgets—it is a public health hazard, environmental threat, and economic opportunity. The key to a sustainable electronic future lies in policy reform, industry accountability, consumer awareness, and international cooperation. With collaboration from our monarchs and all sectors, Nigeria can transition from being an e-waste dumping ground to becoming a model for responsible electronics management in Africa.
Chief Ifeanyi Ochonogor