…Say’s Nigeria is Not a Dumping Ground
By Tina Amanda
The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has strongly condemned the Nigerian government and the European Union (EU) over moves to import “non-hazardous” waste into the country, describing it as an ill-conceived and dangerous policy.
HOMEF, an environmental advocacy group, expressed shock and outrage at the attempt, warning that even so-called non-hazardous waste often contains harmful substances such as heavy metals and other toxic elements. The organization rejected any plan to allow Nigeria to become a dumping ground for foreign waste.
According to HOMEF, wealthy nations have turned waste into a commodity, exporting it to developing countries under the guise of trade. The EU, for example, exported €18.5 billion worth of waste in 2023, but the long-term environmental and health consequences for the receiving nations remain largely ignored.
The group likened the current situation to historical incidents of toxic waste dumping in Africa, recalling the infamous 1988 Koko toxic waste scandal in Delta State, Nigeria. Then, hazardous waste was falsely labeled as fertilizers, leading to severe environmental contamination.
Similarly, in 2006, multinational company Trafigura illegally dumped toxic waste in Côte d’Ivoire after failed attempts to dispose of it in other countries.
HOMEF also criticized a recent EU proposal titled “Request for Inclusion in the List of Countries to Which the Export from the European Union of Non-Hazardous Wastes and Mixtures of Non-Hazardous Wastes Destined for Recovery is Authorized.” The organization described this as a deceptive move to legally entrench waste colonialism in Africa.
“Nigeria and several other African countries have already become dumping grounds for obsolete electronics and e-waste, primarily from China, the United States, Spain, the United Kingdom, the UAE, and Morocco.”
HOMEF warned that Nigeria is already struggling with severe environmental crises, including pollution from oil and gas exploitation, solid mineral extraction, plastic waste, and genetic pollution in food. Adding foreign waste to this burden would be reckless and dangerous.
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“This move exposes the government’s willingness to discount the wellbeing of citizens for a mess of porridge,” said HOMEF Executive Director Nnimmo Bassey.
“It is inconceivable that a nation with a life expectancy of about 56 years and a broken healthcare system would stoop so low as to seek approval to import foreign waste when we can hardly manage our own,” he added.
HOMEF, along with other concerned Nigerians, has called on the government to reject any agreement that would turn Nigeria or any other African nation into a waste dumping ground for developed countries.
