International Conference on e-Waste Control, Abuja, Nigeria.

Report of International Conference on e-Waste Control, Held in Abuja, Nigeria between
20-21July, 2009 By Charles Ntor

Preamble
The International Conference on e-Waste Control organized by the National Environmental Standards and Regulation Enforcement Agency (NESREA) of Nigeria held at the ECOWAS Secretariat, Abuja from 20th-21st, July2009.
The participants was open to all major stakeholders and sector players at both local and international levels, in the areas of environmental protection and sustainable development, as well as those in public and private sectors whose business activities have direct bearing on e-waste.
Other participants included representatives from difference countries of the world, Intentional Agencies such as United State Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), WHO, Basel Convention; Development Partners; the Media; NGOs, and Civil Society, among others.
The Conference started with an open ceremony and good will messages from dignities and included the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Omaru Musa Ya’adua, GCFR.

Plenary Session
This session featured paper presentations form noble personalities in the academia and International Agencies. The topics presented include:
· USEPA and e-Waste by Jane Metcalfe, US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of International Affairs.
· Citizens’ Participation, Opportunities and partnerships In E-Waste Control, Prof. Oladele Osibanjo, Director, Basel Convention Regional, Africa
· Best available environmentally sound management practices in waste control by Babajide I. ALO,
· Hazardous Electronic and public impacts, by WHO.
After the presentations comments and contributions from the participants were satisfactorily responded to.

Working Group
The conference was divided into four working groups to allow professions consider various topics such as Environmental and Health impacts of e-waste; Best available environmentally sound management practices in e- waste control; Regulatory, Monitoring, and Enforcement issues in E-waste control; citizens’ participation and partnership.

Second Plenary Session
Thereafter, another plenary session was held to consider the reports of the various working groups. The reports were presented by group leaders and comments and questions were adequately responded to by the resource persons.
This processes led to production of the communiqué called THE ABUJA PLATFORM ON e-WASTE which was read before over 700 participants of the conference including the media and was adopted by a motion moved by a South African representing the international communities and supported by another international participant and the media.

Follow up activity
The Abuja Platform on e-Waste Control recognizes the roles of the NGOs and Civil Society in educating members of the public in the campaign against e-waste menace.
As follow-up to this recognition, a Nation Coalition of participatory NGOs named NATIOAL COALITION ON ENVIRONMENT AND e-WASTE CONTROL was formed and Centre for Waste Management and Environmental Issues (CEWAMES) is playing a centre role.
The first general meeting of the Coalition was held at Fulani Bar, Niccon Hilton, Abuja to discourse way forwards and to appoint officers that will pilot the affairs of the Coalition.
In conclusion, the coalition agreed to work with relevant agencies, public and private sections, as well as manufacturers of e-waste products and consumers to control the menace of e-waste in Nigeria.

Centre for Waste Management and Environmental Sanitation (CEWAMES)