How Dead Phones From Oyibo Countries Dey Kill Nigerians Small Small

Photo: Al Jazeera English

My people, we need to talk about something wey dey happen for our backyard - and e no sweet at all. Every day, cargo ships full of 'second-hand' electronics dey enter our ports from America, Europe, and other developed countries. But wetin them dey call 'second-hand' na pure lies o! Most of these gadgets don already die finish - na just their dead bodies them dey dump for our country.

The Real Gist: Wetin Dey Really Happen

For places like Computer Village in Lagos, Alaba Market, and other electronics hubs across Nigeria, you go see mountains of these oyibo countries' electronic waste. Them dey call am 'tokunbo' phones and laptops, but truth be say, most of these gadgets never work again. The sellers go tell you say 'small repair go fix am,' but deep down, everybody know say na lie.

According to reports from environmental groups, Nigeria dey receive over 60,000 tonnes of electronic waste every year from developed countries. That's like 400 trailers full of dead phones, computers, and other gadgets wey oyibo people no want again. Instead of recycling these things properly for their own country, them prefer send the headache come our side.

How E Dey Affect Our People For Ground

The wahala no be small thing o. For communities around these markets - like Agbogbloshie in Ghana (our neighbor wey dey face the same problem) and similar areas in Lagos - children and adults dey breathe poison every day. When these electronic components dey burn or when rain dey wash them, toxic chemicals like lead, mercury, and cadmium dey enter the soil and water.

Mama Kemi, wey dey sell provisions near Computer Village, tell me say her pikin dey cough anyhow since them start burning more of these spoilt electronics for the area. 'Doctor say na the smoke from all these dead phones and computers,' she explain. Na so the thing dey affect real people wey just dey try hustle for their daily bread.

The Hustle Economy: How Our People Dey Turn Trash to Cash

But as e bad reach, some Nigerians don turn this wahala to opportunity - and I hail them! For every corner of these electronics markets, you go see young people wey dey repair anything wey get wire. These guys sabi their work die! Them fit take three spoilt phones combine am to create one wey go work perfectly.

Emeka, a phone repairer for Alaba Market, tell me say: 'Na from these oyibo people reject I dey make my money. Sometimes, one laptop wey them throw away, I go use the screen for one person phone, the keyboard for another person own, and the battery for different customer entirely.' That's Nigerian ingenuity for you!

Small-scale entrepreneurs dey also extract valuable metals like gold, silver, and copper from these dead electronics. Though the method them dey use no too safe (them dey burn the components to separate the metals), e still dey provide income for thousands of families.

The Health Wahala Wey Dey Follow

But make we no lie to ourselves - this hustle dey come with serious health cost. The people wey dey work directly with these electronic wastes dey expose themselves to plenty dangerous chemicals. Some of these substances fit cause cancer, damage the brain, or affect person's ability to born children.

Dr. Adebayo from Lagos University Teaching Hospital explain say: 'We dey see more cases of respiratory problems, skin irritations, and other health issues for communities around these electronic waste dumping sites. The most painful part be say na the poor people wey no get choice but to work with these materials dey suffer the consequences.'

Wetin Government Fit Do?

Our government need to wake up and smell the coffee! Other countries dey use us as their dustbin, and we dey clap for them. Countries like Switzerland and Germany get strict laws about how to dispose electronic waste properly - why them no follow that same law instead of shipping their wahala come our side?

We need:

• Stronger customs regulations to check wetin dey enter our ports
• Investment in proper e-waste recycling facilities
• Training programs for people wey dey work with these materials
• Health support for affected communities

The Way Forward

Make we no get am twisted - Nigeria need technology to move forward. But we deserve better than dead electronics wey other countries don reject. We need partnerships wey go bring us working, modern equipment, not electronic graveyard.

As we dey talk this matter, remember say every small action count. When you wan dispose your old phone or laptop, find proper way to do am. Support local businesses wey dey repair electronics instead of always buying new ones. And most importantly, make noise about this issue because na only when we dey vocal about these things government go listen.

Our people too smart and too hardworking to be treated like dumping ground. E high time make the world respect us and stop using Nigeria as their electronic waste basket!