RCE Kano - 2019

RCE KANO PROJECT ON ENERGY EFFICIENT RECYCLING OF ELECTRIC AND ELECTRONIC SCRAP IN NIGERIA
CSV
Basic Information
Title of project : 
RCE KANO PROJECT ON ENERGY EFFICIENT RECYCLING OF ELECTRIC AND ELECTRONIC SCRAP IN NIGERIA
Submitting RCE: 
RCE Kano
Contributing organization(s) : 
Centre for Renewable Energy and Action on Climate Change CREACC
Economic Security Initiative ECOSEC
Focal point(s) and affiliation(s)
Name: 
Usman Muhammad
Organizational Affiliation: 
Centre for Renewable Energy and Action on Climate Change
E-mail: 
uuthmann@yahoo.com
Name: 
Umar Abba Ali
Organizational Affiliation: 
ECOSEC
E-mail: 
umarabbali@gmail.com
Name: 
Samaila Abdullahi Dankane
Organizational Affiliation: 
CREACC NG
E-mail: 
samadankane5836@gmail.com
Format of project: 
Manuscript
Language of project: 
English
Date of submission:
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
Does this project link to any education and/or sustainable development policy or policies?: 
Yes
Circular Electronic System in Nigeria
At what level is the policy operating?: 
National
Geographical & Education Information
Region: 
Africa and Middle East
Country: 
Nigeria
Location(s): 
Kano
Address of focal point institution for project: 
Suite 37, Zamfara Plaza, Sokoto Road, PO Box 379, Gusau, Zamfara State, Nigeria.
Ecosystem(s):
Fresh water, Urban/Peri-urban
Target Audience:
Community, Youth (Informal)
Socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of the area : 
The region is a tropical savannah, characterized with climate change variability. The Sahel climate or tropical dry climate is the predominant climate type in the northern part of Nigeria. Annual rainfall totals are lower compared to the southern and central part of Nigeria. The rainy season in the northern part of Nigeria last for only three to four months (June–September). The rest of the year is hot and dry with temperatures climbing as high as 40 °C (104.0 °F).
Description of sustainable development challenge(s) in the area the project addresses: 
The project aimed at increasing awareness on efficient recycling of electric, electronic and companies’ wastes in Nigeria while improving local environment, livelihood, health and poor conditions of poor neighboring societies. The project addresses both SDGs 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 14, and 15.
The project increases income among local people, which directly address DGS 1 to end poverty for all. Using energy efficient method on the metals from recycled materials reduces energy consumption as well as climate footprint; it can also reduce greenhouse gas emissions when environment friendly smelting facilities are used to prevent open burning activities.
Contents
Status: 
Completed
Period: 
September, 2019
Rationale: 
According to the UNEP, Nigeria’s piles of e-waste come both from home and abroad. The country generated 290,000 tones of electronic waste in 2017 – a 170% increase against 2009. Meanwhile, Nigeria remains a major recipient of used electronics from abroad. While the true amount of overseas-generated waste landing in Nigeria is hard to quantify, United Nations University research has revealed more than 60,000 tones of used electrical and electronics equipment are shipped into the country annually via Lagos ports alone, with an unknown amount imported over land routes from neighboring countries. More than 25 per cent of this is dead on arrival – heading straight to dumps or dismantling.

According to the International Labor Organization, up to 100,000 people work in the informal e-waste recycling sector in Nigeria, collecting and dismantling electronics by hand to reclaim the salable components. Informal workers are directly exposed to hazardous chemicals and commonly suffer respiratory and dermatological problems, eye infections and lower than average life expectancy.
Objectives: 
➢ To stimulate development of a sustainable smelting of informal e-waste recycling sector in Nigeria.
➢ To help reform the electronics sector and put an end to the toxic toll improper management of electronic waste in the country.
➢ To increase energy efficient recycling of electronic and companies’ wastes in Nigeria from electronic products in the country.
➢ To promote sustainable production and consumption by encouraging being responsible for the lifecycle of their products.
➢ To encourage on proper disposal or recycling method for the electric and electronic waste in order to address other related ill health.
➢ To improve livelihood, health and address poor conditions of neighboring societies that are affected by the wastes.
➢ To create flagship projects, collaboration and partnership on sustainable development among the locals.
➢ To create a locally relevant and culturally appropriate values component to ESD, one that is informed by the principles and values inherent in sustainable development among the local recyclers.
➢ To inculcate in the communities the values underlying the sustainability paradigm, such as care for the environment.
➢ To improve learning to live together and learning to transform oneself and the society through reorientation on plastics waste.
Activities and/or practices employed: 
Electronic scrap contains valuable concentration of raw materials that is why it is considered as a valuable source of raw materials. Electronic recycling in Nigeria is usually dominated by poor people working in the informal sector using traditional methods such as open burning of flammable e-scrap materials which exposes them to toxic substances that pollutes both land, water and air.

The project involved awareness creation on the dangers associated pollution among people engaged with the informal e-waste recycling sector in Nigeria that collect and dismantle electronics by hand to reclaim saleable components. The workers are largely exposed to hazardous chemicals and commonly suffer respiratory, eye infections and lower life expectancy.

We engage the informal workers on how to practice an energy efficient means for smelting e-wastes and scraps. We have so far engaged over 40 of these informal workers to help them recycle more valuable materials efficiently through improved methods. Reaching out to informal e-wastes workers is limited; this is due to their dispersed nature of doing business.
Size of academic audience: 
40
Results: 
1. It has created awareness on how to promote environmental sustainability among informal e-waste recycling sector in Nigeria.
2. It helps participants by introducing new methods of recycling e-waste among informal poor recyclers using ESD knowledge through shift in thinking and minds.
3. It improved the health condition of informal smelters’ respiratory organ from reducing to smoke local smelters production and sales of fuel-efficient stoves as an income-generating activity for women.
4. The program inculcated in the communities affected by the pollution values underlying the sustainability paradigm, such as care for the environment
5. It has addressed poor conditions of neighboring societies that are affected by the wastes.
6. It encouraged proper disposal or recycling methods for the electric and electronic wastes among informal smelters.
7. It has also reduced greenhouse gas emissions because we encourage environment friendly smelting facilities to prevent open burning activities.
8. It encouraged using energy efficient method on the metals from recycled materials as it reduces energy consumption as well as climate footprint.
9. It promoted sustainable production and consumption.
Lessons learned: 
➢ This is the first time a program related to e-scarp workers that focuses on energy efficiency was organized, there were lack resource persons to diligently engage the informal workers.
➢ We also realized that local and informal smelters need training and awareness on the dangers associated with smoking polluted air.
➢ The program could be extended and implemented in other effected areas especially in other African countries where e-scrap business is striving.
➢ It is imperative to include government agencies that are dealing with the sector to help you with support and resource persons.
➢ Reaching out to informal e-wastes workers is limited; this is due to their dispersed nature of doing business.
Key messages: 
The project involved awareness creation on the dangers associated pollution among people engaged with the informal e-waste recycling sector in Nigeria that collect and dismantle electronics by hand to reclaim salable components.
Relationship to other RCE activities: 
We can work with RCEs in Nigeria to scale up the project in their respective RCEs.
Funding: 
There was no funding on this project but, organizations such as UNIDO, EU, and UNEP can help fund this project.

Pictures:

File Name Caption for picture Photo Credit
Image icon Local smelter at work163027_Gallery CREACC-NG.JPG (635.3 KB) Local smelter at work163027_Gallery CREACC-NG
Image icon A girl working on e-scrap location-163110_Gallery CREACC-NG.JPG (751.47 KB) A girl working on e-scrap location-163110_Gallery CREACC-NG
Image icon Capacity building for local smelters-12602_Gallery CREACC-NG.jpg (3.18 MB) Capacity building for local smelters-12602_Gallery CREACC-NG
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
(https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs) and other themes of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
SDG 1 - End poverty in all its forms everywhere 
Direct
SDG 2 - End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture 
Indirect
SDG 3 - Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages 
Direct
SDG 4 - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 
Direct
SDG 5 - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls 
Indirect
SDG 6 - Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all 
Direct
SDG 7 - Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all 
Direct
SDG 8 - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all 
Indirect
SDG 9 - Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, and foster innovation 
Indirect
SDG 11 - Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable 
Direct
SDG 12 - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns 
Direct
SDG 13 - Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts 
Indirect
SDG 14 - Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development 
Indirect
Theme
Disaster Risk Reduction 
Direct
Traditional Knowledge  
Indirect
Curriculum Development 
Indirect
Plants & Animals 
Indirect
Waste 
Direct
Global Action Programme (GAP) on Education for Sustainable Development – Priority Action Areas
Priority Action Area 1 - Advancing policy 
Indirect
Priority Action Area 2 - Transforming learning and training environments 
Indirect
Priority Action Area 3 - Building capacities of educators and trainers 
Direct
Priority Action Area 4 - Empowering and mobilizing youth 
Direct
Priority Action Area 5 - Accelerating sustainable solutions at local level 
Direct
Update: 
No