With the signing of a Letter of Intent with a Dutch company for the construction of a smelting plant in Lagos on Friday, the Lagos State Government took a massive step toward handling the enormous deposit of electronic trash in the state.
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Tokunbo Wahab, the State’s Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, stated during the signing ceremony in Alausa that the signing is about enhancing Lagos’s economy.
He continued by saying that when the smelting factory starts up, it will generate new employment opportunities as well as a new economy by turning e-waste into useful items.
According to Wahab, the Dutch Consul General’s attendance validates “Close the Loop BV’s” assertions about its competence.
He called electronic garbage a significant waste that is typically taboo, but with Lagos’s recent action, the city is well ahead of certain governments and nations in the Subregion in terms of managing electronic waste and turning it into cash.
He clarified that a large number of people lack the necessary knowledge on how to properly dispose of electronic items or the garbage generated from them, increasing the likelihood of pollution.
He continued by noting that poor management of e-waste can have a negative impact on the environment, since most of it ends up in landfills, is burned, and is then sold to developing nations for recycling.
What typically happened to our electronic waste before now? He said, “The government put them together, shipped them out, converted them to value, and brought them back to sell to the people.”
According to him, Lagos produces 13,000 tons of garbage per day, of which one-third is converted to riches, another-third is electronic waste, and the remaining portion is used to produce electricity.
He feels that locals need to take responsibility for the infrastructure in their neighborhood. Waste should not be disposed of into the drainage system. Since you are the ones who pay the taxes, the government uses your money to fund infrastructure. It is your duty as a good citizen to speak up whenever the situation demands it.
Speaking, Mr. Rotimi Akodu, Special Advisor on Environment, stated that the Lagos team is prepared to work together to ensure that matters are resolved appropriately and that “Close the Loop BV” representatives appeared well-prepared for the task at hand.
“We do not know what to do with a lot of rubbish that we have lying around, but the moment is right. We have been working on turning garbage into wealth. We recently signed the waste-to-energy conversion agreement, and we are currently managing our electronic waste. I am positive that no state thought it was feasible. We are prepared to cooperate with you on this, he stated.
Mr. Michel Deleen, the Consul General of the Netherlands in Nigeria, stated that the Lagos Government has been observed to be very proactive in all its endeavors. He cited the example of the recent heavy rainfall and the subsequent flash flood that subsided a few hours after the rain stopped.
“The reality is that even in developed nations with adequate infrastructure, flash floods still occur during periods of heavy rainfall,” he stated.
He underlined that the Netherlands government is prepared to work with Lagos to extract precious wastes and turn waste into value. He also added that this is just the beginning of that process and that signing the letter of intent is crucial because this is a worldwide issue.
Ingrid Thijssen, President of the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers, also spoke and expressed her happiness at the relationship, stating that it will be extremely beneficial to both sides.
