Mobile Phone Usage and Battery Disposal in Lagos, Nigeria

Since the advent of mobile telecommunication services into Nigeria in 2001, profound increase in the consumer’s electronic market for mobile phones has been continually witnessed. However, this remarkable progress has resulted in the generation of large quantities of e-waste. This paper studies mobile phone usage behaviours and battery disposal among Nigerians. Certain hypotheses are formulated highlighting variables like sex, age, occupation, level of education, responsibility to the environment, knowledge of the respondents towards proper waste disposal and their relationships with mobile phone usage behaviour, and the intention for proper mobile battery disposal are tested. Results show that mobile phone users with higher levels of education have better mobile phone usage behaviours than those with lower levels of education. Also, majority dispose their phone battery indiscriminately which is an indication that there is no proper regulation on battery disposal. Moreover, relationship exists between occupation and the intention for proper battery disposal with corporate workers having the highest percentage of respondents willing to recycle used batteries without compensation for the act. Based on the outcome of the study, the need for consumer awareness, domestication of international conventions or enactment of local legislation to deal with the e-wastes, and the provision of infrastructure for the collection and processing of the wastes generated are recommended.