Abstract
Nigeria is a major destination of used electrical and electronic equipment (UEEE) generated in developed countries. These imports, about 60,000 t/y, worsen the challenges of electronic waste (E-waste) management, since the UEEE have reduced life-span, while many are nonfunctional. E-waste contains valuable metals such as copper and gold, as well as hazardous substances such as lead, mercury, and persistent organic pollutants. Nigeria lacks the necessary recycling infrastructure to manage E-waste, consequently relying on informal sectors that use crude dismantling and backyard recycling techniques, uncontrolled open burning of cables to recover copper wire, and E-waste disposal at dumpsites. These activities result in environmental contamination and human exposure to harmful chemicals. In 2011, the government passed the National Environmental (Electrical/Electronic Sector) Regulation which banned the importation of E-waste and provided guidelines on environmentally sound management of E-waste. The strict implementation of this regulation will reduce the adverse environmental impacts of E-waste management in Nigeria.
Published Version
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