Currently in Nigeria, the main piece of legislation concerning electronic waste management is the National Environmental (Electrical/Electronic Sector) Regulations of 2011. While Stand-Alone Solar (SAS) products are not specifically listed in these regulations or in any other national waste legislation, it is assumed they are included since they are used in electricity generation. However, being a relatively new market, there are no clear guidelines for the collection, management, and disposal of SAS e-waste in Nigeria. A number of solar companies are taking some responsibility by setting up take-back schemes for damaged products under warranty but there is no clear approach and many companies are either start-ups or have entered the market recently, meaning that SAS products have not reached End-of-Life (EoL) in the majority of cases. Most end-users also usually dispose of SAS products as general household waste or sell them to informal recyclers/scrap collectors.
The Government of Nigeria (GoN) through the Federal Ministry of Environment (FMEnv) and the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) are being supported by ACE TAF on e-waste activities for the SAS sector. The FMEnv is also in the process of developing an E-Waste Policy for Nigeria. This document is aimed at providing guidance to the government and the private sector on managing SAS e-waste in line with the country’s national e-waste regulatory framework. It will also serve as a standard e-waste reference document for the Nigerian SAS sector.