The Chief Executive Officer, E-Terra Technologies Limited, Dr Ifeanyi Ochonogor, says the illegal importation of electronics is contributing massively to the huge amount of electronic waste in Nigeria.
He made this known in Lagos during his presentation at the inaugural meeting of stakeholders in the e-waste industry themed ‘Circular Economy Approaches to the Electronic Sector.’
Ochonogor called on the government to address urgently the menace by providing certifications for companies importing the products to developing countries from developed countries.
He stressed the urgent need for concerted enlightenment and education on the dangers of e-waste coupled with the proper handling and disposal of e-waste through the combined efforts of the government and industry stakeholders.
“Certification of companies importing these electronics is important to ensure they meet international best practices and E-terra is at the forefront,” he said.
“As a growing business in a Greenfield area, we continue to strive to chart our own path and break barriers in spite of the many hurdles we face; thus we and many others in our category will need all the support and collaborations we can get to enable us to achieve the desired outcome.”
He expressed concerns on the generation of hazardous e-waste, advising companies to reduce the quantity of non-recyclable material in their products at the design stage.
According to him, health issues, data breach and loss of confidential information associated with the improper handling of electronic devices can cost businesses monumental loss in revenue and reputation.
E-Terra boss said, “The high rate of generation of non-recyclable fractions from e-waste can be stemmed if manufacturers replace hazardous substances upstream in the design and manufacture stages.”
Source: Punch
