Large quantities of discarded electronics from wealthier countries continue to enter Nigeria, where they are often sold through informal markets under the guise of reusable second-hand goods. In reality, a substantial share of these imports is already broken or near the end of its usable life. Estimates from environmental monitoring groups suggest that tens of thousands of tonnes of used electronics arrive in Nigeria each year, with a significant fraction being effectively unusable on arrival. These shipments commonly pass through major entry points like Lagos, feeding a large but largely unregulated recycling economy.
Once in local markets, the devices are stripped for valuable components such as copper, aluminium, and small quantities of precious metals. However, the recycling process is often crude and unsafe—wires are burned in open spaces, circuit boards are dismantled by hand, and plastic casings are discarded or incinerated. This exposes workers and nearby communities to toxic substances including lead, mercury, and cadmium. Experts say the situation reflects a global imbalance in waste management, where the environmental and health costs of electronic consumption in developed economies are disproportionately shifted onto lower-income countries with limited infrastructure for safe recycling. More