US-based Nigerian researcher pushes data-driven e-waste compliance

A Nigerian public health professional based in the United States, Sodiq Omotosho, is advocating stronger, data-driven systems to manage electronic waste, as concerns over Nigeria’s handling of the growing crisis deepen at home.

Omotosho made this known in a statement made available to PUNCH Online on Sunday.

Omotosho, who studied Agricultural Economics at Kwara State University in Nigeria and public health at Fort Valley State University in Georgia, has co-authored at least two research papers on e-waste — one examining the economic and environmental impacts of different disposal methods, and another exploring how robotics and automation can make e-waste dismantling safer and more efficient.

Both papers were produced in collaboration with researchers from American universities, including the University of Idaho and the University of Notre Dame.

Electronic waste — discarded phones, laptops, televisions, batteries and circuit boards — is a growing environmental and public health concern globally.

When improperly handled, e-waste can release lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic into the environment, posing risks to workers and surrounding communities.

According to the statement, he currently works as an environmental compliance specialist with the Fulton County District of the Georgia Department of Public Health in Atlanta, where his responsibilities include conducting inspections and supporting adherence to state environmental health regulations.

Drawing on that experience, he said he is pushing for e-waste management systems that go beyond recycling — integrating hazard monitoring, compliance enforcement, and data analysis tools such as SPSS, STATA and R to identify high-risk areas, track violations and guide resource allocation by public health agencies.

“I believe the future of environmental health lies at the intersection of data, policy, and sustainable systems. My goal is to develop practical solutions that help protect communities, strengthen compliance systems, and improve public health outcomes,” he said.

His research draws on both his Nigerian academic background in agricultural economics and his public health training in the United States.

He said the combination gives him a useful lens for understanding how regulations are designed, and where the gap between policy and real-world implementation tends to open up.

His work comes as Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, speaking at a Chemical Users and Handlers Workshop in Abeokuta on Thursday, warned that e-waste handlers’ safety could no longer be compromised, noting that exposure to toxic substances such as lead, mercury and cadmium poses serious health risks, including respiratory illnesses and neurological damage.

Abiodun, who unveiled what he called a “Resource Revolution” to position Ogun State as a continental leader in the circular economy, declared that “environmental leadership is economic leadership.”

Nigeria generates over 500,000 tonnes of e-waste annually, according to the United Nations Environment Programme.