NESREA BOSS INAUGURATES COMMITTEE TO TACKLE E-WASTE IN BROADCAST SECTOR

The Director General of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, NESREA, Prof. Aliyu Jauro today inaugurated an Inter-Agency Committee comprising officials of NESREA and the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC.

The committee was set up to strengthen the collaboration between the two agencies in the management of e-waste, particularly to ensure an e-waste free environment at the end of the Digital Switch Over in Nigeria.

Prof. Jauro, who was represented at the event by the Director, Inspection and Enforcement, Mr. Abdulsalaam Isa pointed out that the hazardous content inherent in e-waste posed a threat to human health and the environment, hence the need to ensure they are handled in environmentally sound manner.

He said NESREA has taken necessary steps to rid the country of e-waste by developing and operationalizing the National Environmental (Electrical and Electronic Sector) Regulations, 2022 which has been revised and ready for gazette; developed the Guide for Importers of Used Electrical Electronic Equipment and the registration of Importers of Electrical Electronic Equipment to regulate their activities.

The NESREA boss also added that the Agency had conducted training for Importers of Used Electrical Electronic Equipment on the effects of importation of e-waste in the country, and published the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Operational Guideline.

He said a highpoint in the management of e-waste in the country was the successful execution of the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) funded project with notable accomplishments in Lagos where the pilot project was carried out. Under the project, NESREA midwifed the establishment of 30 collection centers in Lagos State, the upgrade of 2 recycling facilities in the State also and carried out training of Government regulators and e-waste value chain.

The Agency also provided Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Collectors including informal collectors, formalized over 400 informal e-waste collectors, carried out awareness programmes on the project on various media, gazetted the Guidance Document for the implementation of the EPR Programme for the sector in line with Circular Economy; and collected about 300 tonnes of e-waste which have been given to the two recyclers under the project.

He expressed his delight at the collaboration between NESREA and NBC which he said will proffer solution to e-waste from the broadcasting sector.