The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, on Tuesday, celebrated this year’s International E-Waste Day.

The International E-Waste Day is celebrated annually to create awareness and draw attention to the importance of proper disposal of e-waste to protect the environment.

The theme for this year’s celebration, “Shedding Light on Invisible E- Waste” was to highlight that electronic waste often goes unnoticed due to its inconspicuous nature.

According to a statement made available to The PUNCH on Thursday, signed by LASEPA’s director of public affairs, Mamud Hassan, the agency collaborated with the E-Waste Producer Responsibility Organisation of Nigeria EPRON, Lagos State Waste Management Authority, National Environmental Standards and Registration Enforcement Agency, International Labour Organisation, and United Nations Industrial Development Organisation to mark the 2023 E-Waste Day.

According to the statement, while speaking at the event organised to mark the day, the Director General of NESREA, Professor Aliu Jauro, represented by Mrs. Omolola Adeola, said e-waste constitutes an ecological threat.

“These discarded electronic devices prevalent in households contain hazardous elements like lithium, mercury, lead, and brominated flame retardants”.

He said further that improper disposal of these devices not only pollutes the environment but also poses serious health risks.

According to him, the consequences of neglecting these e-waste materials extend far beyond what meets the eye, making it imperative to raise awareness before irreversible damage occurs.
In his address at the occasion, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, also represented by Engr. Yusuf Olabanji drew attention to the hidden dangers of electronic waste. And called for an urgent need to address the challenges posed by discarded electronic devices which remain unseen but with grave environmental and health risks.

Dr. Gbadegesin rued the missed opportunities within E-waste which includes gold, silver, copper, and other precious metals. He said further that by implementing sustainable recycling practices, these resources can be recovered to reduce reliance on raw materials extraction and create employment.

In his own contribution, the General Manager of LASEPA, Dr. Babatunde Ajayi, represented by the Director of E-waste of the Agency, Mrs. Adebayo Adedayo called for a robust legal framework for legislation mandating proper E-waste handling, recycling and disposal.

Dr. Ajayi further said to tackle this issue, there is a need for collaboration between the public and private sectors.

The General Manager urged investments in sustainable E- waste management practices and proposed the establishment of accessible collection centres and recycling facilities across the state.

According to him if e-waste is not managed properly these substances can contaminate the soil, water bodies and air thereby posing significant threats to human health and the environment.

Dr. Ajayi said guidelines and regulations enforced rigorously would ensure that manufacturers, importers, and distributors take responsibility for their products throughout their lifecycles.

The Executive Secretary of the E-Waste Producer Responsibility Organisation of Nigeria (EPRON), Mrs. Ibukun Faluyi stated that this year’s celebration aims to focus and create awareness on the invisible e-waste, to commission the informal collectors to collect at their different locations, a minimum of 500kg of invisible e-waste within the space of 1 month and to raise the profile of e-waste.