LAWMA recycles 405 tonnes of e-waste in Lagos as Nigeria’s annual crisis deepens, signaling opportunity

NIGERIA – The Lagos Waste Management Authority recycled 405 tonnes of electronic waste in 2025, up from 355 tonnes in 2024, while Nigeria generates an estimated 1.1 million tonnes of e-waste annually with only 15 to 20 percent formally collected.

Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, Managing Director of LAWMA, disclosed the figures in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria.

The Lagos State Government has established an e-Waste Unit, certified 17 recycling companies, and approved collection centres across the state.

Gbadegesin explained that the agency directs e-waste to certified recyclers to ensure safe handling and disposal.

A Growing Hazard, A Slow Response

E-waste covers discarded laptops, phones, batteries, refrigerators, and televisions. It is classified as hazardous due to toxic components including lead, mercury, and arsenic.

The Global E-waste Monitor 2024 reports that the world generated 62 million tonnes of e-waste in 2022, with only 22.3 percent formally collected and recycled.

Africa generates approximately 3 million tonnes annually, with recycling rates below 1 percent in many countries.

Voices from the Frontline

Dr Leslie Adogame, Executive Director of Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development, called for urgent holistic action to address the growing e-waste challenge.

He stressed the need for safe collection, transportation, recycling, and disposal systems, noting that current efforts remain inadequate. Adogame observed that public awareness of e-waste lags behind that of plastic waste, leading to poor disposal practices.

Mrs Adedayo Adebayo, Director in charge of e-waste at LASEPA, said the state has about 30 registered collectors being integrated into a structured value chain.

She explained that LASEPA monitors corporate organisations, assesses waste streams, and directs them to certified collectors.

She stressed that open burning of waste is banned due to hazardous substances released into the environment.

The Informal Sector’s Heavy Lift

Friday Oku, President of the Association of Scrap and Wastepickers of Lagos, noted that the current e-waste system relies heavily on informal activities with limited formal support.

Informal collectors often use unsafe methods such as burning and dismantling to extract valuable materials.

He urged authorities to formalise, train, and equip waste pickers with protective gear and safe recycling tools.

The Road Not Yet Taken

Lagos has come a long way, from 305 tonnes in 2023 to 405 tonnes in 2025. But 405 tonnes against an estimated 1.1 million tonnes generated nationwide is barely a scratch on the surface.

Certified recyclers are doing their part, yet they compete with informal burning and backyard dumping that still defines most e-waste disposal across the city.

Until awareness campaigns reach every household and every waste picker has safe tools and proper training, the gap between what is recycled and what should be recycled will remain a chasm.

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