Toxic Waste Dumping in West Africa Environmental Racism

Toxic waste and electronic waste (e-waste) is generated from a wide range of industries - such as health, hydrocarbon or manufacturing - and can come in many forms, such as sludges or gas. E-waste is used electronic items that are nearing the end of their useful life, and are discarded or given to be recycled. If these types of waste aren't properly discarded they can cause serious harm to human health and the environment. Western companies and businesses target countries in the Gulf of Guinea - Nigeria, Ghana, and Côte d'Ivoire - as a dump for their toxic waste. This, despite the knowledge of the physiological and environmental effects of this waste. The dumping of toxic waste into Africa, while deliberately concealing its true content, shows that companies know it is ethically wrong. To protect communities within these countries, governments must implement the provisions of the Basel and Bamako Conventions, writes Ifesinachi Okafor-Yarwood for Conversation Africa.