Marian Shammah, a 34-year-old cleaner, visited Sabon Gari Market in Kano State on Tuesday in search of an affordable refrigerator. With new appliances beyond her budget, she turned to the sprawling electronics market, where second-hand goods from Europe and North America are widely sold. Vendors offered refrigerators, televisions and washing machines, many visibly worn, priced between ₦15,000 and ₦80,000. A 2023 report by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) found that 86% of e-waste shipped to Nigeria from high-income countries was non-functional upon arrival. Traders at the market admitted that many of the devices are repaired or stripped for parts. One vendor, Adamu Bello, said, "We get containers every month from Lagos ports—most are junk, but we make them work." The Nigerian government has regulations restricting the import of used electronics, but enforcement remains weak. Environmental experts warn that toxic materials from damaged devices, such as lead and mercury, are leaching into soil and water systems in communities near major markets.
The fact that 86% of second-hand electronics entering Nigeria are already dead on arrival exposes a loophole rich nations exploit at Nigeria's expense. Marian Shammah is not just shopping for a fridge—she's navigating a global waste pipeline disguised as trade. With weak port inspections and high demand for cheap goods, Nigeria has become a dumping ground for obsolete tech. This isn't commerce; it's environmental evasion dressed as charity.
