Digital Waste: A dive into Nigeria's Digital Waste Crisis

Globally, electronic items are becoming more common due to the exponential expansion of technical innovation in developed nations. While Africa has historically faced industrial and technological challenges, the involvement of China and the Asian

Tiger economies in the industrial landscape alongside other established players has expanded access to electronic goods at comparatively affordable rates. The increasing competition amongst these technological giants has led to increasing improvement and upgrade of electronic products to attract and retain customers. These increasing improvements and upgrades have also led to outdated devices. Consequently, these outdated devices reach the end of their useful life and are discarded as e-waste in developing countries. Regrettably, the developed countries are not prepared to manage the resultant e-waste, hence the practice of shipping these goods to developing countries under the guise of secondhand electronics (Greenpeace, 2009). Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria, gets a significant amount of this e-waste every year as a result of the nation’s high demand for secondhand electronics. According to A.O Omobowale (2012), these products are purchased not just for economic reasons but for their “Tokunbo” value created around imported used products. The term “Tokunbo” means “from across the sea”(A.O. Omobowale, 2012) and is used to describe used goods imported from the West. These Tokunbo are assumed to be “used” but ‘standard” and “good quality”. Hence, the acceptance and dumping of e-waste by the West in Nigeria.

Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country with an estimated 223 million population (World Population Dashboard -Nigeria | United Nations Population Fund, n.d.). With more than 65% of the population under 35 years old, the country's demand for electronic equipment has become obvious. Even while demand for new electronics is rising, less than 20% of Nigerians can afford the cost of a new device. In a study by Odeyingbo et. al (2019), Nigeria imports approximately 60,000 tones of used electronic equipment per year. Out of this number, about 19% are non-functional. Many Nigerians rely on inexpensive imported secondhand devices from industrialized nations where the service journey of digital waste begins. These electronic devices are produced in developed countries where the consumers have strong purchasing power. Eventually, these devices reach their lifecycle and are discarded as e-waste and are exported as secondhand electronics. As soon as they arrive, these devices are reused, refurbished, or disposed of, contributing to environmental pollution and health risks. The issue is further exacerbated by the lack of infrastructure for efficient e-waste management, which eventually degrades the ecosystem in Nigeria.

The digital waste ecosystem in Nigeria involves a complex ecosystem of stakeholders, including providers, consumers, recyclers, policymakers, private sectors, and environmental organizations. Providers are mostly in charge of designing, manufacturing, and distributing of the device. They do this mostly through their sales and marketing team. In most cases, business owners would buy these products in large quantities from the providers and import them into the country legally or illegally. Business owners serve as middlemen between the producers and the customers. They retail the device to the consumers and also play a vital role in the distribution and proliferation of the products These products would then be sold to the consumers who are the end users. Especially in Nigeria, the consumers drive demand and play significant roles in helping the disposal of e-waste. When these products reach the end of their useful life, they are discarded in a public dumpsite and are usually collected from dump sites by local recyclers, who dismantle and process the e-waste, extracting valuable materials while managing hazardous components. Developing policies and regulations, enforcing policies and frameworks, encouraging sustainable practices, and increasing public knowledge of the effects of e-waste are the responsibilities of government and non-governmental organizations.

Following the discourse, several hypotheses can be proposed to investigate the underlying causes of the e-waste dilemma in Nigeria. To start with, the rivalry for technological innovation in developed nations has given rise to upgraded versions of electronics, creating room for outdated devices and driving the generation of e-waste. Next, the economic gap between developed and developing countries encourages the exports of e-waste to areas with cheap labor and lax regulations. Additionally, substandard devices from China had also flooded the Nigerian market due to their affordability. However, these products soon break down and swell the e-waste dump. Lastly, societal perceptions such as the notion of “Tokumbo” in Nigeria help to contribute to the acceptance and proliferation of imported used devices, which exacerbates the e-waste issue in Nigeria.

For a deeper understanding, the complex interplay of economic, cultural, and environmental variables becomes apparent as one delves more into the details of the digital waste problem in Nigeria. Secondhand electronics dominate the market because of how consumer choices and habits have been affected by economic downturns, such as Nigeria’s experience with the Structural Adjustment Programme(SAP) which ended in 1996. Today, most Nigerians can not afford new electronic devices. According to a 2022 World Bank report, 4 in 10 Nigerians live below the national poverty line. The increasing need for electronic devices and the lack of purchasing power have continued to fuel social constructs like the Tokunbo phenomenon. Addressing the challenge of e-waste in Nigeria requires a comprehensive approach that considers socio-economic dynamics, cultural norms, and environmental sustainability.

What Next?

Despite generating the least e-waste per capita, African countries continue to be burdened by the challenge of managing e-waste from other developed nations. In the case of Nigeria, the swelling of e-waste in the country had been influenced by the complex interplay of economic, cultural, and environmental variables. These factors have continued to shape consumer’s choices and habits. Addressing the challenge detailed in my article requires a comprehensive approach that considers socio-economic dynamics, cultural norms, and environmental sustainability.

First, raising public awareness about the harzards of e-waste is important. In a recent study, most Nigerians agree to preferring Tokunbo products to new ones. According to them, the new products are substandard and soon break down compared to the Tokumbo that they claim serves them well. The Federal Ministry of Environment through the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Agency should partner with the National Orientation Agency and other relevant stakeholders to educate Nigerians on the hazards of e-waste. This will empower consumers to make health and environmental informed decisions in their purchases.

It is important to note however that the demand for Tokunbo devices will not be completely successful with just raising awareness if consumers are not able to afford better. Hence the need for improving the purchasing power of consumers. In a 2022 World Bank report, 4 in 10 Nigerians were living below the national poverty line. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Unemployment was perked at 5%, while under-employment was at 12.3%. A long term solution to the Tokunbo phenomenon will have to include job creation and business development support. Government could provide incentives including tax break to new businesses as a means to promote self-reliance. Educational institutions in Nigeria should review outdated curriculums in light of the current job market reality to tailor a smooth ride from gown to town. Nonprofit organization could provide soft loans and grants to support sustainable businesses and startups.

The third solution is strengthening regulatory frameworks and policy implementation. Several laws and policy exist in Nigeria to regulate e-waste including the Harmful waste(Special criminal Provisions) Act CAP HI, 1988, updated in 2004; as well as the Guide for Importers of Used Electronic and Electrical Equipment. However, the implementation of these policies and frameworks continues to be questionable. First, an accountability mechanism is required to cub corrupt practices by law enforcement agents. The lax border should be tightened to ensure compliance with the provision of the relevant policies and guide. Next, providers should be provided with incentives to import standard electronics and electrical equipment. These incentives could be in the form of financial incentives or tax break as this will help to reduce the overall cost of import.

Next, Strengthening informal recycling and establishing formal recycling plants. Currently, there are only two formal recyclers thetin Nigeria. Most of the e-waste generated in Nigeria end up on dump sites or informally recycled. Considering the health and environmental risk involved, it would be important to strengthen informal recycling, while creating more formal recyclers. Informal recyclers could be trained and empowered with relevant equipment and tools. This could help to cushion the environmental and health impact in a short term. In the long term, the creation of recycling plants would also help in job creation and further improving the purchasing power of consumers.

Finally, fostering collaboration among stakeholders, including government agencies, private sector companies, environmental organizations, and consumers, is key to implementing and sustaining these solutions. By working together, we can create a more sustainable digital waste management system in Nigeria that protects both the environment and public health.

REFERENCE

A.O. Omobowale,(2012). Global E-Waste Management and Second-Hand Consumption in the Third World: Substandard Context and Tokunbo Phenomenon in Nigeria. The Nigerian Journal of Sociology and Anthropology, 10(Issue 1, 2012), 88-98. https://doi.org/DOI: 10.36108/NJSA/2102/01(0180)

Greenpeace. 2009. Where does E-Waste End Up Retrieved on 20 November 2010 from http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/toxics/ electronics/the-e-waste-problem/ wher e-does-e-waste-end-up/

Odeyingbo, A., Nnorom, I. C., & Deubzer, O. (2019). Used and waste electronics flows into Nigeria: Assessment of the quantities, types, sources, and functionality status. Science of the Total Environment, 666, 103–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.102

World Bank Group. (2022, March 22). Deep Structural Reforms Guided by Evidence Are Urgently Needed to Lift Millions of Nigerians Out of Poverty, says New World Bank Report. World Bank. https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2022/03/21/afw-deep-structural-reforms-guided-by-evidence-are-urgently-needed-to-lift-millions-of-nigerians-out-of-poverty

World Population Dashboard -Nigeria | United Nations Population Fund. (n.d.). United Nations Population Fund. https://www.unfpa.org/data/world-population/NG