27 December 2005 (Nigeria) – ALL used electronic equipment imported into Nigeria are henceforth to be subjected to 100 per cent check by a new bureau to be established by the Federal Government. The new policy is prompted by disturbing discoveries by the Federal Government that over 75 per cent of used electronic gadgets, especially computers imported into Nigeria and other developing nations contain toxic materials.

In fact, the government fears that if the trend is allowed to persist, the health of most Nigerians and the environment will be adversely affected. Nigerians have equally been advised against the patronage of such obsolete equipment, even though their prices are affordable.

The government's warning stems from reports that a high number of such gadgets are unusable and unserviceable.

Due to the short lifespan of the tools, no sooner that they are bought by the unsuspecting public, do they end up in dumpsites. There, toxic substances find their way into the ground water that is consumed by a large number of the people.

The government's worry follows the reality that Nigeria may have unwittingly become a dumping ground for such equipment as their importation on yearly basis has continued to be on the rise.

To meet global electronics specifications and curb the trend, the government plans to set up an information technology (IT) systems standardisation and certification bureau to scrutinise all software, hardware and firmware imported into Nigeria.

In the interim, the Federal Government has directed an all-round surveillance of the equipment at the ports and other entry points across the country.

In a working paper dated November 16, 2005 from office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) signed by D.D.N. Kaze on behalf of the (SGF) and addressed to the Ministers of Environment, Science and Technology, Finance and Commerce, and the Director-General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), the government quoted a United States (U.S.) environmental group, Basel Action Network as alleging that obsolete electronic devices from America were being dumped in developing nations, particularly Nigeria.

According to the paper, the government's reaction was at the instance of a series of petitions it received from the U.S. group on the subject in the past few months.

Curiously, the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reportedly conceded that there were indeed inappropriate practices in the industry but did not think that the immediate solution was to stop the export of the equipment.

It has therefore called on the ministers and the SON boss to rise to the challenge. The government functionaries were told that "in the light of the foregoing, Nigeria needs to do something in order to check the menace both the junk and toxic would cause the people and their environment. This can easily be achieved if you put your heads together with other relevant establishment."

The Guardian learnt that the National IT Development Agency (NITDA) may have been named the secretariat for the co-ordination of the inter-ministerial activities to check the menace.

"These unusable equipment are donated or sold to developing nations, by recycling firms in the U.S. to dodge the cost of recycling them properly," the American group stated in its petition to the Federal Government.
The group asserted in its report to Nigeria that "more than 63 million computers in the U.S would become obsolete by the end of this year."

It said that "an average computer monitor, contains as much as eight pounds of lead, along with plastic laden flame retardant and cadmium, all of which can be harmful to the environment and humans."

Data at the disposal of the government indicate that an estimated 500 containers of used electronic equipment enter Nigeria monthly and each container is laden with 500 computers. The implication is that 400,000 used computers that enter the country are either dumped or donated to some unsuspecting tertiary educational institutions or to some other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for onward donation to other bodies.

The government paper explained that based on the authorities assessment, "more than 75 per cent of these computers and other electronic gadgets are unusable, unserviceable and irreparable. They are therefore junk, especially for a country such as Nigeria, which lacks the infrastructure for electronics recycling."

The government further states that "these products are likely to end up in landfills, where the toxic in the equipment can pollute the ground water and create unhealthy conditions."