An earth-eco socialist approach towards sustainable e-waste management in Lagos State

Electronic waste (e-waste) poses an escalating threat to both human and environmental health in Nigeria, particularly in Lagos State, which has become a major hub for the accumulation and informal processing of used electronics. This paper investigates the structural drivers, health risks, and governance failures surrounding e-waste in Lagos and proposes an ethical alternative grounded in Earth-Eco-Socialism. Using a critical, qualitative literature review approach, the study synthesizes findings across environmental science, public health, and political economy. It reveals how poverty, global trade imbalances, and inadequate regulation perpetuate a cycle of pollution and inequality. The analysis shows that Lagos’s e-waste crisis disproportionately harms marginalized communities and ecosystems. By applying an Earth-Eco-Socialist framework that blends eco-socialist critique with communal ethics and recognition of nature’s intrinsic value, the paper outlines justice-centered strategies such as cooperative waste management, global corporate accountability, and participatory environmental governance. The study concludes that Earth-Eco-Socialism offers a holistic, morally grounded approach to sustainable e-waste solutions in the Global South.