British investor and CEO of Hinckley e-waste Recycling Ltd, Adrian Clews, on Wednesday said Nigeria is the second largest producer of e-waste in Africa after South Africa.
Clews said the country produces 200,000 tonnes of e-waste, one of the most toxic wastes in the world. He explained that with the support of Manufacturing Africa, a UK government initiative, a $5 million lithium-ion and lead acid battery recycling plant will be set up in the state to turn these toxic waste menaces into thriving businesses that will generate at least 100 direct jobs.
Clews disclosed this at a press conference organized by the state government at the Olusegun Osoba Press Centre, Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
The media event was attended by Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, Commissioner for Trade, Commerce, and Investment, Mr. Adebola Sofela, Executive Director, Ogun State Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency, Sola Arobieke, and British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery.
Clews said, “Nigeria generates electronic wastes of over 200,000 tonnes every year and these are left on the dump sites across the country which poses a significant threat to the health of the people and the environment.
“So at Hinckley, it was an excitement to take it upon ourselves to establish Africa’s first Lithium battery recycling plant here in Ogun state and which is supported by Manufacturing Africa under the British government.
“The lead in the battery is a heavy metal that is quite dangerous to the health of the people, unfortunately, there is a large informal sector that are recycling these batteries, we need to raise the standards considerably and that is one of the reasons for the investment.
“The $5m investment with state of the art facilities is expected to have been completed within the next 12 months.”
Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Ola Oresanya, lauded the initiative saying that the state has always been at the forefront of managing productively its environmental waste.
Environment Commissioner Ola Oresanya lauded the initiative, saying the state has always been a pioneer in managing productively its environmental waste.
For example, Olesanya said the state is a hotbed of recycling in Nigeria, recycling over 1,400 tonnes of plastic bottles every day. There are about four big factories involved in the business.
He further added, “For ferrous and non-ferrous metals, we recycle close to 1300 tonnes in a day, the companies are around the Sagamu-Ogijo axis of the state, and for papers, we do about 1400 metric tonnes of that as well. We have about 780 people who are aggregating into this venture and it has continued creating jobs”
He revealed that there are already seven companies working on battery recycling in the state and assured Hinckley e-waste of the support needed to facilitate the success of their operations in the state.
The British High Commissioner said the establishment of a recycling company is a way for the UK government to invest in efforts to improve the lives of its citizens.
Montgomery said the UK government will always invest in opportunities that can be explored in the country to promote socio-economic development.
He said his country wants to invest in energy, technology, higher education, and agro-processing. He also plans to look at how other UK-related companies can be attracted to invest in the state. He added that they are currently in discussions with the state team on how to proceed next year.
Commissioner for Trade, Commerce, and Investment, Adebola Sofela, said the government would continue to create an enabling environment and ease of doing business for more investments both locally and internationally.
