The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) spearheaded a critical call to action on the e-waste emergency, urging industries in Ogun State to ramp up investments in recycling and embrace Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for sustainable cleanup.
Dr. Innocent Barikor, NESREA’s Director-General, while addressing stakeholders at the 4th Chemical Users and Handlers Workshop in Abua, highlighted Nigeria’s alarming 500,000+ tons of annual e-waste—the continent’s second-highest, driven by imported gadgets. Toxic open burning and informal recycling breed heavy metal poisoning, cancers, respiratory woes, and widespread soil-water pollution that taints food chains.
EPR, a cornerstone policy, shifts end-of-life burdens to producers: manufacturers must fund certified recycling, take-back programs, and disposal—ensuring no product escapes accountability. Barikor stressed Ogun State’s pivotal role in rolling it out, calling for expanded recycling facilities to build a robust e-waste ecosystem.
Echoing NESREA, Ogun’s Environment Commissioner Olasika (standing in for Governor Dapo Abiodun) demanded strict adherence to state laws: “Compliance isn’t optional—partner with certified recyclers, fulfill EPR duties, and drive national-global impact.”
Industry leaders, officials, academics, and others forged strategies, aiming to convert pledges into measurable wins for Ogun’s e-waste roadmap.
