The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has criticized the EU’s proposal to include Nigeria on a list for non-hazardous waste dumping. HOMEF contends that Nigeria is already overwhelmed by pollution from various sectors, making the import of additional waste a dangerous idea. They emphasize that waste labeled non-hazardous often contains harmful elements and reject the government’s plan to allow waste imports into the country.
The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), a prominent non-governmental organization, has criticized a proposal from the European Union (EU) to designate Nigeria as a destination for non-hazardous waste for recovery. HOMEF claims that Nigeria and other African nations are increasingly becoming dumping grounds for obsolete electronic waste, primarily sourced from countries such as China, the United States, and several European nations.
HOMEF views the EU’s request to permit waste imports as a deceptive tactic to entrench systemic legal waste colonialism in Nigeria. The organization highlights Nigeria’s existing environmental challenges, including pollution linked to oil and gas, solid mineral exploitation, and plastic waste. They assert that importing waste is not only ill-advised but also detrimental to the nation’s already troubled environment.
Nnimmo Bassey, the executive director of HOMEF, voiced serious concerns regarding this initiative, emphasizing that it undermines the health and wellbeing of Nigerian citizens. He stated that it is inconceivable for a country grappling with a low life expectancy and inadequate healthcare to entertain the idea of accepting imports of waste from other nations when domestic waste management remains a challenge.
HOMEF, alongside other concerned Nigerians, firmly rejects the Nigerian government’s potential strategy to allow foreign nations to use Nigeria as a landfill for their waste products. The organization pointed out that waste labeled as non-hazardous frequently contains dangerous elements, including heavy metals.
They condemned the practice whereby affluent countries commodify waste and target impoverished nations seeking foreign capital. The EU’s report revealing the export of €18.5 billion worth of waste in 2023 exemplifies this troubling trend. HOMEF raised crucial questions regarding the long-term impacts of these exported wastes on their destination countries.
The EU’s actions echo statements made by Lawrence Summers, the Chief Economist of the World Bank in 1991, suggesting that it is economically sensible to exploit under-polluted regions like Africa for waste disposal. He proposed that industries causing health impairing pollution should relocate to countries with lower labor costs, reinforcing HOMEF’s concerns about ethical treatment in waste management.
The Health of Mother Earth Foundation has raised strong objections against the European Union’s proposal to allow non-hazardous waste imports into Nigeria, citing the significant environmental risks and existing pollution issues the nation faces. They highlight the unethical nature of using Nigeria as a dumping ground for foreign waste and stress the need for responsible waste management practices rather than detrimental imports. This situation underscores the broader challenge of geopolitical waste colonialism and its impact on African nations.
Original Source: businessday.ng
