National Environmental Standard and Regulatory Enforcement Agency (NESREA), E-waste Producer Responsibility Organisation Nigeria (EPRON) and E-TERRA have destroyed items siezed at the Tin Can Island port in order to prevent hazardous effect on the environment and to ensure compliance of Basel convention on e-waste.
The burning exercise, which took place at E-TERRA facility in Lagos, saw goods , such as television sets, computers and monitors and other items, destroyed.
Speaking during the exercise, the Cheif Executive Officer of E-TERRA, Dr. Ifeanyi Ochonogor , said the destroyed items were seized by NESREA at the Tin Can Island port.
According to him, these items were seized because the importers did not follow the right procedure. There should have been a prior consent by the importers that they have the capacity to manage permit. He said the products are banned in Nigeria, adding that, “during our routine inspection, we identify them and destroy them.”
Also speaking at the event, Head Port Operation, NESREA, Lagos liaison office, Mrs E.A. Udechukwu, said NESERA has taken time to reach out to importers at computer village, Alaba International market and so on.
“We work together with EPRON to sensitize these people on both the hazards and regulations on this. In addition to routine inspections, we educate the importers on these regulations.
EPRON Executive Secretary, Ibukun Faluyi , said: “We work with consumers and producers to ensure the safe management of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) to our health and environment. Our stakeholders also include accredited recyclers and collection centres, who implement our incentives buyback/recovery and recycling programme for consumers.
“We ensure that all electronics, whether imported or manufactured here in Nigeria after the end use should be disposed in a proper manner.Our responsibility is to supervise collection and recycling according to international regulatory standards.We are here to ensure that it was destroyed in an environmental friendly manner.