Gocycle launches Africa’s first digital e-waste recycling marketplace with Lagos pilot

NIGERIA – Gocycle has launched Africa’s first digital e-waste recycling marketplace across five Lagos LGAs, using AI and secure escrow payments to formalize the informal scrap sector, with early results showing a 70% reduction in collector idle time.

The pilot programme, operated through the Gocycle.ng platform, creates a transparent, traceable marketplace for end-of-life electronics, particularly used batteries and hazardous components, digitising transactions between households, collectors and recyclers. 

Nigeria receives more than 100,000 tonnes of electronic waste annually, with an estimated 90 percent currently handled by informal collectors operating outside regulated systems. 

Nigeria’s 100,000-Tonne E-Waste Challenge Meets Digital Formalisation

Africa’s rapid expansion in renewable energy, battery storage, telecommunications and electric mobility has generated increasing volumes of electronic waste that many countries remain ill-equipped to manage safely. 

Globally, the world generates over 62 million tonnes of e-waste annually, making it one of the fastest-growing waste streams. 

The platform enables users to schedule waste collection, verify transactions digitally and receive secure payments, creating greater confidence for waste generators and collectors while improving traceability throughout the recycling value chain. 

Emmanuel Okoegwale, the company’s founder, stated that e-waste is not just an environmental danger but a massive, untapped economic opportunity, and that the marketplace uses smart technology and secure payments to turn volatile e-waste into an accountable business opportunity while improving ESG mandates for organisations.

Formalisation Through Digital Infrastructure and ESG Compliance

The emphasis on digital traceability reflects growing demand from manufacturers, investors and regulators for greater transparency within supply chains. 

As companies strengthen ESG reporting and circular economy strategies, the ability to demonstrate responsible waste collection and recycling has become increasingly important for regulatory compliance and investor confidence. 

Early results from the Lagos pilot suggest the platform is already improving operational efficiency, with digital scheduling reducing collectors’ idle time by approximately 70 percent. Formalisation offers opportunities to improve occupational safety, increase incomes and strengthen environmental compliance simultaneously. 

Nigeria has already introduced extended producer responsibility frameworks and licensing requirements for formal recyclers through NESREA, and digital platforms such as Gocycle complement existing regulatory efforts by improving market transparency while integrating informal waste collectors into formal recycling systems rather than displacing their livelihoods. 

Looking ahead, Gocycle aims to expand the platform beyond Lagos by onboarding more than 50,000 active collectors across Africa over the next five years.

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