NIGERIA – The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has urged the establishment of a national digital registry to enhance the management of electronic waste and promote sustainable resource recovery.
Speaking at the 2nd Circular Economy Conference in Lagos, LCCI President Gabriel Idahosa emphasized the critical need for a unified approach to e-waste management.
According to him, the digital registry could track and manage e-waste more effectively, fostering a sustainable circular economy.
Idahosa called for collaboration between businesses, government, academia, and consumers to build a cohesive circular economy ecosystem.
He referenced Japan’s successful “3R” initiative—Reduce, Reuse, Recycle—as a model of effective waste management driven by strong partnerships between the government and private sector.
“By forging partnerships, we can accelerate our progress toward sustainable business models. Insights from this conference should inspire policymakers to create an enabling environment that fosters circular economic practices,” Idahosa stated.
The LCCI president also urged industry leaders to capitalize on the untapped potential of circular economy practices, emphasizing the long-term benefits of sustainable solutions over short-term gains.
He noted that while the circular economy is both feasible and beneficial, it remains underutilized in Nigeria.
Technology, Idahosa argued, will play a transformative role in advancing circular economy goals. He called for a strategic approach to technology adoption and integration to unlock its full potential for e-waste management and sustainable development.
In a related development, Lagos State signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with a Netherlands-based company in June to establish a Smelter Plant for processing electronic waste.
The country produces about 500,000 tonnes of electronic waste annually. This primarily originates from domestic consumption and imported used electronics, about 25% of which arrive in non-functional states and go directly to disposal.
In Nigeria, proper recycling and disposal of dangerous electronic components which contain mercury, lead, sulfur, phosphorus, copper, beryllium, etc are often ignored, and this poses a great danger to environmental health, hazards to humans, livestock and ecology.
Industry analysts say it is worrisome that Nigerians are unaware of the dangers inherent in careless handling of e-waste which is already leading to the death of millions of people in the country and continent.
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