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President of the E-Waste Relief Foundation (ERF), Mr. Ifeanyi Ochonogor has said that Nigeria annually generates 1 million tonnes of electronic waste out of the total 50million tonnes generated globally per year.
Ochonogor who gave the statistics at the Inaugural Board Meeting of the ERF in Lagos recently said the country must as a matter of urgency work towards tackling the situation by first embracing training the citizens on best practices in handling electronic waste.
“Nigeria alone generates about 1.1million tonnes of e-waste annually, thus, it is only in enlightening the people on the e-waste crisis, and training the informal handlers on standards of operation, that the country can successfully tackle its electronic waste issues,” he said.
ERF is Nigeria’s first Non-Governmental Organisation focused on tackling the electronic-waste crisis within the country and the West African sub-region.
Ochonogor in his speech said that there is a great need for a foundation driven by the passion to aid in solving the e-waste problems within the country and beyond.
He stated further that the ERF is charged with the task of educating people on the dangers of improper e-waste management, as well as enlightening them on the right solutions that are available to stop the crisis at hand.
“It is in making people understand the threats we face, that they see reasons to join in the process of putting an end to the e-waste challenges that beset us,” he Ochonogor added.
Speaking further on the mandate of the ERF, Ochonogor stressed that the founding of the institution has ushered in a new era, one filled with hope and an assurance that the e-waste crisis within Nigeria and even around West Africa will be tackled headlong, with the best of technology and to the utmost of international environmental standards.
According to him, a recent report published by the Unite Nations (UN) forecasts that global electronic waste is likely to increase to 50 million metric tonnes (Mt) in 2018.
The ERF inaugural meeting held at the Sheraton Lagos Hotel, Ikeja on the World NGO Day, also had Professor Oladele Osibanjo and other members of the board and invited guests in attendance.
