By Chioma Obinagwam
Nigeria’s exploding electronic waste mountain, now estimated at 1.2 million tonnes annually, is poisoning communities, fueling a hidden health epidemic, and squandering a massive economic opportunity worth billions in recoverable critical minerals, the country’s top environmental regulator warned on Thursday.
Confiance News gathered from a statement issued by Convener Remmy Nweke, Group Executive Editor of ITREALMS Media.
Speaking at the 2025 ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue in Lagos, Professor Innocent Barikor, Director General of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), issued a blistering call for Nigeria to stop being a mere consumer of global electronics and become a powerhouse in the **circular economy.
“Nigeria must position itself not just as a consumer, but as a key player in the circular economy by establishing efficient systems to recover critical raw materials like lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements from discarded devices,” Professor Barikor declared in his keynote address, delivered on his behalf by Chief Scientific Officer Olaide Oyedele-Taiwo.
He described informal e-waste processing – often involving burning or acid leaching in slums – as a “silent killer” that releases deadly toxins such as lead, mercury, and cadmium into soil, water, and air. “When you don’t recycle your e-waste responsibly, it’s not just clutter in landfills; it’s a health and environmental time bomb,” he stressed.
The stark warning came as stakeholders gathered under the event’s uncompromising theme: “Nigeria: Recycle Your e-Waste … It’s Critical!”
Nweke told the packed audience that after five years of raising awareness, the time for talk is over. “We now generate an estimated 1.2 million tonnes of e-waste every year. This is no longer just an environmental issue – it’s a public health crisis, an economic disaster, and a national security threat,” Nweke said.
He praised the high-level attendance from NESREA, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN), Nigeria LNG (NLNG), and the E-Waste Producer Responsibility Organisation of Nigeria (EPRON), calling it proof that e-waste has finally been recognised as a national emergency.
Professor Barikor reaffirmed the federal government’s full commitment to enforcing the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programme in the electrical and electronics sector. Under EPR, manufacturers and importers must take back and responsibly recycle their products at end-of-life.
“The National Environmental (Electrical and Electronics) Sector Regulations are enforceable laws, not suggestions,” he asserted. “NESREA will intensify compliance monitoring and impose stringent penalties on defaulters.”
The Dialogue also featured plans for a high-powered panel to map stakeholder roles in turning Nigeria’s e-waste nightmare into a circular economy goldmine – recovering valuable materials, creating green jobs, and reducing dependence on imported raw materials.
Closing the event, both speakers challenged every Nigerian to become an “e-waste ambassador.” “Proper disposal and recycling must become a daily habit, not a niche concern,” Professor Barikor urged.
With global demand for critical minerals surging and Nigeria sitting on an untapped urban mine of discarded gadgets, stakeholders left the Dialogue determined to deliver actionable policy recommendations that could protect public health, safeguard the environment, and unlock billions in new revenue through sustainable e-waste recycling.
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