Informal Sector Dynamics in Nigeria’s E-Waste Chain: Legal Recognition and Environmental Risk

Abstract

Among the rapidly increasing types of waste globally, electronic waste (e-waste) experiences intense strain due to the influx of nearly end-of-life devices, the laxity and inability to enforce regulations, and the absence of formal processing facilities. Nigeria experiences acute symptoms of this problem, as large amounts of electronic waste enter the country, often reaching landfills, and authorities struggle to intervene effectively. The e-waste chain in the country is dominated by the informal sector, which provides livelihoods and recovery of resources, but in very rudimentary ways that create extreme environmental and health impacts. The review synthesizes evidence on the state of informal sector dynamics, legal status, and ecological consequences, drawing on 62 evidence materials published between 2010 and 2025. These materials are referenced in peer-reviewed literature, government reports, and reports from international agencies. Results indicated that informal actors, including collectors, repairers, dismantlers, scrap dealers, and exporters, have been at the heart of e-waste management but are not protected by the law, which leaves them vulnerable and outside the novice Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) frameworks. Nigeria has supported instruments such as national environmental regulations and the NESREA Act; however, the level of implementation is poor, as the national rules and policies do not adequately incorporate informal recyclers. Some of them are documented to have caused soil and water pollution due to heavy metals, air contamination from open burning, professional injuries and poisoning, and widespread exposure in urban centers like Lagos and Aba. These results indicate a regulatory vacuum that contributes to socio-environmental vulnerability. These problems can be solved by legalizing and assimilating informal workers, making the administrative system recognize and standardize the work of occupational health and safety, as well as increasing the power of the law to enforce, monitor, and control the border to curb illegal imports. These measures would enable Nigeria to transition its informal e-waste industry into a safer and more inclusive element of the circular economy, thereby reducing its hazardous nature.