– Nigeria’s Waste Import Sparks Controversy
– Environmental Group Warns of Waste Mismanagement
– EU Non-Hazardous Waste Deal Raises Concerns
Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADeV Nigeria) has criticized Nigeria’s decision to import “non-hazardous” waste from the European Union (EU).
The group argues that Nigeria, already struggling with domestic waste management, lacks the infrastructure to handle additional waste imports. Under Article 42 of Regulation 2024/1157, Nigeria is set to receive waste like Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF), paper waste, textile waste, and fly ash from the EU starting May 21, 2027. SRADeV’s Executive Director, Dr. Leslie Adogame, warned that the move could worsen Nigeria’s waste crisis, calling it a case of “waste colonialism.”
The group also criticized Nigeria’s failure to ratify international agreements like the Bamako Convention, which bans hazardous waste imports into Africa. Without strict classification measures, there’s a risk of toxic materials entering the country under misleading labels. SRADeV is urging the government to reconsider the agreement and focus on improving domestic waste management instead of taking on waste from foreign nations.
