An investigation into Nigeria’s recycling industry has uncovered a troubling practice: lead is being extracted from waste materials for use in car batteries produced in America and Europe. This process, however, comes at a severe human and environmental cost. The report emphasizes the dangers faced by local communities, including exposure to toxic substances and the degradation of natural resources.
Reporters have documented the grim conditions in Nigeria’s recycling plants, where workers—many of them children—are exposed to high levels of lead contamination. The extraction process, which involves burning cables and other electronic waste, releases toxic fumes that pose serious health risks. These practices have led to respiratory issues, neurological damage, and even deaths among workers and nearby residents.
Environmental experts warn that the unchecked extraction of lead from electronic waste is exacerbating pollution in Nigeria’s already fragile ecosystems. The country’s water sources and soil are being contaminated, threatening both human health and agricultural productivity. While global demand for lead batteries continues to rise due to the growing electric vehicle market, the ethical and environmental costs of sourcing this material from Nigeria remain largely unaddressed.
International organizations and some governments have called for greater oversight of the global recycling supply chain. However, enforcement remains weak, and many of the companies involved in the production of car batteries in Europe and the United States are not directly linked to the hazardous sourcing practices in Nigeria. This lack of accountability has raised concerns about the sustainability and ethics of the global recycling industry.