Following recent spate of deadly explosions, the Kano State government has announced a temporary ban on the importation of scrap and waste materials from the Northeastern region of the country.
The decision was made public by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Special Services, retired Air Vice Marshal Ibrahim Umaru, during a meeting with executives of the National Association of Scrap and Waste Dealers of Nigeria (NASWDEN).
Umaru explained that the directive became necessary following a bomb explosion at a scrap warehouse located along the Western Bypass and Kofar Ruwa area of the state capital. The incident, which claimed lives and destroyed property, is suspected to have resulted from explosive materials hidden within imported scrap.
The commissioner said the restriction specifically targets scrap originating from states in the Northeast affected by Boko Haram insurgency and other security threats.
A statement issued by the Ministry’s Director of Public Relations and Enlightenment, Muhd Idris, quoted Umaru as saying: “Kano State will continue to protect your interests and businesses, but you must develop a clear policy to ensure that explosive devices do not find their way into the state under the guise of scrap materials.”
He urged the association to adopt preventive measures and enhance the screening of materials to avoid recurrence of such tragic incidents.
In his remarks, NASWDEN regional president, Comrade Aminu Hassan, Sarkin Karafan Kasar Hausa, said the association had already halted the purchase of scrap from insurgency-ravaged Northeastern states. He assured the government of their full cooperation and emphasised the need for support to boost the scrap trade, which he described as vital to Nigeria’s manufacturing sector.
“Our association was established under the Trade Union Law of 2004 and is regulated by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity. Most industries in Nigeria depend on scrap because virgin raw materials are unaffordable. If our business collapses, many factories will follow,” Hassan said.
He revealed that NASWDEN has over 100,000 registered members across the 44 local government areas of Kano State and contributes significantly to job creation for unemployed youths.
Hassan, however, decried the involvement of underage children in the scavenging business and blamed the trend on poor parenting. He also admitted that some unscrupulous individuals within the trade vandalise properties or trade in stolen goods, but said the association was actively collaborating with security agencies to arrest and prosecute offenders.
Supporting Hassan’s position, Board of Trustees member Alhaji Akilu Hassan Sardaunan Funtua, who also serves as Chairman of NAK, called for stronger collaboration between the association and the state government to drive economic growth and prevent future security breaches.
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