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Mitigating the impact of electronic waste exposure in Nigeria

Mitigating the impact of electronic waste exposure in Nigeria

By Tosin Kolade, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

Have you ever wondered what happens to your discarded fridges, televisions, laptops, handsets?

More often than not, these discarded products end up at dump sites, with scavengers digging them up as they search for precious materials.

According to experts, electronic waste, otherwise known as e-waste are discarded electrical appliances such as computers, office electronic equipment, entertainment device electronics, TVs, Phones etc.

It also includes used electronics, which are destined for reuse, resale, salvage, recycling, or disposal.

In many e-waste sites in the country, scavengers; including pregnant women and children search for lead, cadmium, mercury, zinc, lithium, nickel, among others.

According to 2017 Global E-waste monitor report, there is an increasing global demand and upgrading of electronic products, which have resulted in the production of a large volume of electronic wastes.

The report says that in 2017, Nigeria generated 290,000 tonnes of electronic waste and remains a major importer of second-hand electronics.

About 25 per cent of 60,000 tonnes of second-hand electrical and electronic equipment imported into Nigeria annually are non-functional and unserviceable on arrival.

Recently the World Health Organisation (WHO) led e-waste site/Health Facility Environmental Health Risk Assessments to Lagos, Rivers and Kano states.

The aim was to identify and assess onsite characterisation, knowledge, perceptions and attitude at informal e-waste sites in the country,

Findings from the visit in Rivers revealed that no fewer than 500 children were estimated to be informally involved in collecting, dismantling, recycling and burning of e-waste.

In Lagos for instance, the Gidan Nkwali e-waste processing site had no fewer than 1,000 youths working without personal protective equipment, while the Ijora Mango site had over 3,000 youths, without adhering to safety standards etc.

Findings from Kano showed that an estimated 4,000 people live at the e-waste dismantling and recycling sites, excluding the population in the surrounding residential houses.

Over 500 Children were estimated to be involved in collecting, dismantling, recycling and burning of e-waste, with many managers/handlers not aware of the health risk associated with nature of their activities.

There have been many reports about the increasing rate of cancers, birth defects in the country, with linkages to causes possible from exposure to e-waste exposures.

According to Dr Edwin Isotu-Edeh, National Consultant, Public Health and Environment, WHO Nigeria, raising awareness on the magnitude of e-waste exposure to human and health is a welcome development.

“The television you use in your house and mobile phones have some dangerous chemicals in them, when you throw them in the dustbin and it is not properly managed they can pose a health challenge to the society.

“Some people go to pick them up by removing something from them those dangerous chemicals may damage peoples’ health.

“They can affect their lungs, organs, and make it difficult for children to have good memory, and also affect the immune system of everyone on that chain.

“The unused battery that people remove from their cars should not be disposed indiscriminately, they should be properly managed,’’ he said.

He called for sustainability of current interventions as key to protecting Nigeria’s gains in maternal and child and child health.

An environmental health expert, Mr Kunle Adebusuyi said, the rapid uptake of information technology around the world, had created an unending thirst for new innovations.

This, he said, had made previously-owned electrical and electronic equipment to become obsolete following introduction of new designs and technologies.

According to him, informal processing of electronic waste in developing countries may cause serious health and pollution problems, especially with uncontrolled access to toxic substances like lead, mercury, barium, arsenic etc.

“E-wastes are not degradable by soil bacteria. They cannot be destroyed by burning. If these enter sources of drinking water like rivers or wells, they can cause serious health problems,’’ he said.

In response, the Federal Ministry of Health and its environment counterpart have strengthened partnership with stakeholders to form the technical working group for reducing the impact of electronic waste exposure and promoting public health safety.

The group has commenced nationwide advocacy and sensitatisation to reduce the impact of electronic waste exposure in the country.

Dr Shuaibu Bonji, Director, Climate Change and Environmental Health, Federal Ministry of Health, said discarded and obsolete electronic equipment was becoming a worldwide problem.

“The dangers posed by improper disposal of e-waste on the environment ultimately have impacts on human beings, the health effects of these toxins on human includes; birth defects which are irreversible.

“The brain, heart, kidney and other sensory organs can also be damaged. There is an urgent need for all stakeholders to take prompt actions,’’ he said.

He also said that the ministry was optimistic that recommendations from the meeting would serve as a veritable tool for advocacy towards changing the narrative of poor e-waste management.

According to Dr Livinus Nwankwo, a director in the Ministry of Environment, electrical and electronic waste was massive in the country and the federal government is taking measures to address it.

“The Federal Executive Council has approved restricted importation of e-waste, such as age limits, into the country.

“When we do this, the age limit of these equipment will be placed so that those who do not make it are not imported into the country,’’ Nwankwo said.

Similarly, Dr Baba Mohammed, Registrar, Environmental Health Registration Council of Nigeria (EHORECON), expressed optimism that with commitment from all stakeholders, Nigeria would mitigate the impact of e-waste and climate change

He said the proposed Environmental Health Management Information System, would also be a platform for effective collection and management of data to assess and proffer solutions to e-waste in Nigeria.

Meanwhile experts have continued to plead with government to provide regulation and monitor the menace of indiscriminate activities at e-waste sites.

Dr Kingsley Okpara, the Director, Research and Documentation, Nigeria Environmental Summit Group, said with no fewer than 18 million adolescents involved in informal e-waste collection sites the challenge ahead is enormous.

He said it was unfortunate that Nigeria had delayed enforcing e-waste management regulation, adding that there was need for training of stakeholders to manage e-waste in the country.

Experts say to mitigate the challenge tiers of government must invest in home-grown research and stop relying on foreign evidences on impact of e-waste exposure to public health.

They say with increasing dependence on technology, Nigeria would continue to increase e-waste products, thereby making urgently proffering solutions to the problem inevitable. (NANFeatures)

**If used please credit the writer and News Agency of Nigeria.

Features

River Basins as vehicles for wealth creation

River Basins as vehicles for wealth creation

By Tosin Kolade, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

Blessing Ibrahim, a 35 year-old mother of two, like others is creating wealth through egg production, thanks to Upper Niger River Basin Development Authority (UNRBDA),

Blessing and 29 others participated in a three months training organised by the UNRBDA to create employment for some of Nigeria’s unemployed women and youths.

“I make an average of N102, 000 in a month. I was given 30 point-of-sale chicks during our graduation ceremony.

“Those 30 chicks have grown into full layers that give me at least two crates of eggs daily, and I added 34 others bringing the total to 64.

“In 30 days, I realised about 60 crates of egg. I sold each crate at the rate of N1, 700, and if you multiply that figure by 60, you will get about N102, 000.

“When I deducted the cost of feed, which is about N34, 000, the balance will be N68, 000”, she told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

While narrating her travails before joining Songhai Farm training programme, Ibrahim recalled that she used to be a petty trader adding that the training opportunity was a life-changing one.

“My situation has changed for the better; it has moved from grass to grace. I must confess; thanks to the management of Upper Niger River Basin Development Authority,” she said.

Similarly, Aliyu Haruna, who graduated from the fishery section of Songhai Farm, shared his experience with this writer, saying that his fingerlings have matured into big fish.

“I am grateful to Allah for everything. I grew from earning nothing to assisting my family with feeding allowances. I tried so many things in life but failed to settle down on any source of revenue.

“As soon as I finished my training, I was employed as an assistant farm manager in a private farm in Lapai Local Government Area, Niger State; this testimony I will give proudly wherever I find myself,” Haruna enthused.

He also informed that, most of his colleagues were doing well in their various farms adding that, some of them were already employers of labour.

Nigeria has been grappling with the challenges of social and land degradation, rural-urban migration, over dependence on importation, among others.

These challenges have resulted to a hike in crime rate, including corruption, kidnaping and insecurity.

Worried by this trend the President Muhammadu Buhari- led government took drastic steps, to boost job and wealth creation with policies that encourage citizens to return to agriculture featuring prominently in the agenda.

The River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAs), being Federal Government agencies and pivotal of agricultural production have been tasked to play vital roles towards the achievement of food security, employment creation and economic stability, using Songhai integrated farming system.

Songhai Integrated Farming System was created in 1985 out of Professor Godfrey Nzamujo’s vision and passion to fight hunger, minimise poverty, stop capital fight and reduce rural – urban migration.

It intended to create empower the teeming youth, enhance agri-business, food exportation and reduce food importation and preserve nature through organic agricultural practices。

To achieve these, the Federal Ministry of Water Resources (FMWR) granted the approval for the collaboration between Songhai Regional Centre, Porto – Novo, Benin Republic and the River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAs).

According to Nzamujo in founding the system, he was inspired by the desire to bring about progress, mutual partnership and teach people how to grow the food they consume.

“Nigeria is growing in population and the only way is to continue to grow food to cater for the population.

“The focus of the integrated Songhai Model is an innovative system of agricultural production that is able to integrate both primary and secondary products from the farm into good use such that there is absolutely no waste in the farm.’’

Similarly, the Managing Director, Benin- Owena River Basin Authority, Saliu Ahmed, said there was the need to redirect the mentality of Nigerians from being employed to employers of labour.

According to him, other initiatives of the Basin Authority in furtherance of Buhari’s mandate on agriculture is the development of irrigation facilities to enhance all-year round farming.

Such facilities, he said, are located in Obayantor in Edo, Illah in Delta, Igbara – Oke in Ondo State, Suede-Ekiti in Ekiti State and Ukpoke in Edo.

“There is also the training of youths and farmers on the best agronomic practices for various crops and animals.

“It also involves sponsoring of 10 youths to Porto Novo in the Republic of Benin at the Songhai Regional Centre to be trained in the art of integrated agriculture,” he said.

To further reposition the river basin development authorities, the federal government commenced the partial commercialisation of four river basin development authorities.

Mr Suleiman Adamu, the Minister of Water Resources, says this is part of the reforms that seek alternative sources of funding to shore-up their revenue base and make them self-reliant.

Adamu, who spoke at a three-day business implementation training on the partial commercialisation of four pilot RBDAs recently, explained that the reform was not privatisation but partial commercialisation to make them economically viable, self-reliant and sustainable.

He assured that the reform would cause no job losses.

Likewise, Mr Alex Okoh, the Director-General, Bureau of Public Enterprise, said federal government was committed to the promotion of private sector participation in the operation, management and maintenance of the RBDAs.

He listed the four RBDAs as; Ogun-Osun, Upper-Niger, Sokoto-Rima Basin, and Niger-Delta respectively.

Accordingly, Mr John Ochigbo, Director, River Basin Operations and Inspectorate, with the ministry of water resources, the commercialisation of the Basins would enable them increase their revenue generation for the government.

He said the 12 Basins were almost comatose before 2016, but had been repositioned for greater efficiency by engaging professionals to manage them.

He assured that the infrastructure available at the Basins would guarantee a return on investments.

He said the federal government approved the commercialisation of the river basins to ensure that they had sustainable operations and management of their infrastructure.

“The Basins have huge infrastructure like water supply schemes, dams and irrigation infrastructure that require good funding to be able to keep them running and to provide dividends for Nigerians.

“We are inviting the private sector to identify with this window of opportunity that has been provided,’’ he said.

Ochigbo also said that as part of efforts to reposition the Basins, their agriculture business mandate had been restored.

Experts say that the provision of infrastructure and the enabling environment for the Basins will result in more employment opportunities for Nigerians and reposition the country’s create more wealth for young people. (NANFeatures)

**If used please credit the writer and News Agency of Nigeria.

Features

Drug trafficking as national security threat

Drug trafficking as national security threat

By Ibironke Ariyo, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

The menace of drug abuse and trafficking present a grave danger to the nation. There is a nexus between drug trafficking on one hand and organised crimes such as terrorism, kidnapping and money laundering.

It has been a major dent on the nation’s image.

Unfortunately, Nigeria is afflicted by all of them and can ill afford a further slide into drug trafficking.

Fortunately the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) under the leadership of retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa has made efforts to rid the country of narcotics through seizures, arrests, and securing convictions.

NDLEA said that between January 2021 and September 2022 it has seized several luxury cars, mansions, and froze no fewer than 600 bank accounts with links to drug traffickers.

Also seized were N420 billion worth of illicit drugs, proceeds of crime within the 21-month period.

Marwa while defending the agency’s 2023 budget before the House of Representatives said the syndicates were going after officers of the agency with some of them already killed or injured.

Marwa said that drug barons were killing the agency’s operatives in vengeance following sustained onslaught against their operations, adding that the attacks had not deterred his agency from pursing its mandates.

“In 2022 the agency made history by recording the largest seizure ever of pure cocaine weighing over 2.1 metric tonnes, which is worth $315 million or over N230 billion.

“We have received a court order and have already destroyed it. This was a unique operation because we arrested five barons located in different parts of Lagos who were.

“So far we have arrested and are prosecuting 28 barons with seizures worth billions of naira. One of the barons had 103 bank accounts with a balance of over N20 billion which we have frozen,” he said.

Experts say that Nigeria is fast transiting from being a minor transit point in the transnational illicit drugs trade to a major hub. This is a threat to national security.

In its 2022 World Drug Report, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said approximately 284 million people aged 15 and 64 years used drugs worldwide in 2020, a 26 per cent increase over the previous decade.

UNODC said drug use prevalence in Nigeria in the 21-month period stood at 14.4 per cent, while prevalence stands around 15 per cent, almost three times higher than the global average.

It also stated that among every four drug users in Nigeria, one is a woman, although previously perceived as an urban problem drug abuse now thrives in the nation’s rural areas.

The Federal Government has recognised drug trafficking as a threat to the nation’s stability and cohesion and has promised to decisively deal with the situation.

Speaking in Abuja while inaugurating the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) in 2021, President Muhammadu Buhari identified drug trafficking and abuse as more threatening to the stability of the nation than banditry and insurgency.

Buhari was represented at the event by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha.

“It is more deadly than even the security challenges that we are having in this country.

“I believe strongly that every effort must be put in place to ensure that we deal with the issues of substance abuse, trafficking and manufacture.

“This is necessary so that we can get to the root cause of the mirage of insecurity problems that are confronting this nation.

“I believe strongly, with every bit of conviction, that if we are able to deal with the issues of drug abuse, substantially, our security challenges will drastically reduce as we walk towards a drug free, Nigeria”, Buhari said.

Echoing Buhari’s optimism is his vice, Prof. Yomi Osinbajo who, while admitting the enormity of the challenge posed to national security by drug trafficking, assured that the federal government was equal to the task of taming the monster.

He spoke during that 2022 United Nations International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking which had as its theme: “Addressing Drug Challenges in Health and Humanitarian Crises.”

He said that young people, usually the most vulnerable to drug abuse, also form the majority of armed combatants in conflict areas, and terrorism in the country

The Vice-President sounded upbeat saying: “We are winning this war. The days of the scourge of drug abuse and dependency are clearly numbered”.

This, he said, would be achieved through greater investment in counter drug abuse and trafficking mechanisms.

The path to combating drug trafficking in the world is laced with challenges and Nigeria is no exception. This is because drug syndicates are rich and their operations are well funded and sophisticated.

These syndicates can be brutal and go to any length, including bribing, killing and blackmail to conduct their illicit transactions.

A UN report says General-Secretary, Antonio Guterres, attests to the fact that drug trafficking and use remain a major challenge to the international community.

It quoted him as saying that drug trafficking and organised crime fuel and perpetuate circles of violence and conflicts, including armed groups and terrorism.

The President, Vanguard Against Drug Abuse (VGADA) Dr Hope Omeiza said solving the problem required the efforts of every stakeholder which will inspire relevant policies and mobilisation of human and material resources.

“There is the need to formulate a more robust anti-money laundering laws and combating the financing of terrorism framework.

“Cyber security is increasingly becoming a global challenge with terrorists and drug traffickers are utilsing new methods of communication and operations, thereby threatening national security.

“There is need to engage political, religious and opinion leaders in vulnerable communities, as a proactive strategy to deny terrorists from radicalizing youths by enticing them with drugs and drug money,” he said. (NANFeatures)

 **If used please credit the writer and News Agency of Nigeria.