Historically, walking through Lagos' urban centers would often involve encountering public waste bins at nearly every corner. These bins were strategically positioned with the noble purpose of accommodating transit waste, meant for discarded plastic bottles, snack wrappers from bus rides, or casual litter from a constantly moving population. Currently, these public bins have nearly disappeared from our streets. This decline was not due to logistical failure by authorities, but rather a necessary retreat prompted by persistent abuse of their intended purpose. Under the current socio-behavioral and structural realities of Lagos, it is evident that public bins are fundamentally unviable. The following are the reasons: 1. The Conflation of Private and Public Waste: The basic tenet of waste management in Lagos is clear, every property must have its own waste disposal system. Whether one is a landlord, a tenant in a "face-me-I-face-you" dwelling, or a shop owner, t...
By: Sanni Gbenga Ibrahim. Have you ever bought a smartphone charger, a power bank, or a charging cable, only for it to stop working within forty-eight hours? Most consumers dismiss it as "bad luck" or "cheap manufacturing." However, the truth is far more sinister. We are not just purchasing low-quality electronics; we are becoming the world's dumping ground. A dangerous trend has surfaced where industrial waste from abroad—especially from manufacturing centres like China—is being disguised as brand-new products and exported to African nations. What seems like a bargain on a retail shelf is often a piece of hazardous waste packaged in a shiny box. Waste in Disguise: From Electronics to Consumables. The deception stretches across multiple sectors, but none is more apparent than the electronics market. Countless "new" gadgets entering our borders are actually refurbished junk or parts that failed quality control tests in their...