Nigeria is at risk of becoming an island of toxic chemicals and pollutants from the unrestrained flooding of the country with electronic relics especially computer systems.
For Nigerians with penchants for very cheap products, it means access to the computers and electronic products, which cost like six times less than the brand new computers.
Some of these retired computer systems and electronics come in as donations by some foreign based charity organizations; others are imported by ravenous businessman who care less about the environmental and health hazards posed by these outdated, dysfunctional and refurbished computer systems.
Worst hit is Ikeja computer village, the “silicon valley” of Lagos, an information and communications technologies (ICTs) hub for the West African sub-region.
The other is Alaba international market.
Both markets are unplanned, and have growing pains including e-waste for short waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), a term used to describe old, end-of-life or discarded appliances using electricity.
It includes computers, consumer electronics, fridges, handsets, television and so on which have been disposed of by their original users.
The untidy management of these e-wastes put the traders, visitors and residents of the areas in great dangers.
For instances, the only visible part of an electronic product is its outer shell.
Unless that casing is broken, and it is often dismantled and shredded in the informal sector under dangerous circumstances, with little attention paid to safeguarding workers from the toxic components.
And inside them are the myriad circuit boards, wiring and electrical connections that make the device actually function.
But it’s those inner mechanical organs that are so valuable and so toxic.
A whole bouquet of heavy metals, semimetals and other chemical compounds lurk inside your seemingly innocent laptop or TV.
Experts said that e-waste dangers stem from ingredients such as lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, copper, beryllium, barium, chromium, nickel, zinc, silver and gold.
Many of these elements are used in circuit boards and comprise electrical parts such as computer chips, monitors and wiring.
Also, many electrical products include various flame-retardant chemicals that might pose potential health risks.
Over time, the toxic chemicals of a landfill’s e-waste can seep into the ground (possibly entering the water supply) or escape into the atmosphere, affecting the health of nearby communities.
To curb e-waste, government and stakeholders should join hands to establish recycling centres.
Local original equipment manufacturers like Zinox, Brain, and Speedstar should also be encouraged to produce mass products that are both affordable and durable.
It also important that firms that make computers and mobile phones must take legal responsibility for recycling them while government should ban the import of old computers .