CITAD urges stakeholders to raise awareness on managing, transforming e-waste

By Aliyu Inuwa Mansir On Oct 31, 2023

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has called on government regulatory bodies and stakeholders to raise awareness on managing and transforming e-waste as well as to identify designated areas for dumping e-waste for ease of collection by transformers.

CITAD Executive Director, Engr. Yunusa Z. Ya’u made the call on Monday in Kano at a one-day stakeholders meeting on circular economy and e-waste.

Ya’u said the transformation of e-waste into usable devices would not only protect the people’s health but would also create wealth for societies and people would be gainfully employed to improve the nation’s economy.

“We live in a linear world where we extract raw materials, process and consume them without transformation or circularity, the mindset of producers to produce gadgets like TV, radio, and laptops, with short lifespans needs to be shifted to longer lifespans in order to reduce e-waste in communities.”

He also called on the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) to regulate the import of second-hand goods into Nigeria to ensure that they are safe for use by meeting standard health provisions.

In a paper presentation on the challenges of e-waste in Nigerian communities, Auwal Yunusa said Nigeria is the highest purchaser of second-hand goods globally, which has led to a rapid increase in the consumption of electronic devices.

According to him, consumption has created a challenge of e-waste disposal, as there is limited infrastructure for the collection and transportation of e-waste.

He said e-waste contains harmful substances such as lead, mercury, and cadmium, which can be released into the environment if not properly disposed of.

“This can pollute the air, water, and soil, and can also cause health problems such as cancer, respiratory problems, and neurological disorders” he added.

In a remark, Chairman of the occasion, Malam Umar Saleh Anka, said the purpose of the meeting was to brainstorm on strategies for deploying a refurbished way of dealing with e-waste and the circular economy.