In spite of the health hazards associated with the use of second-hand items, many Nigerians continue to patronise them, reports MAUREEN AZUH

A first-time visitor to the popular Katangowa Market in Abule Egba area of Lagos, on a typical market day, would marvel at the presence of the enormous crowd of both buyers and sellers alike. The popular slogan at the market is ‘Na mumu dey go boutique’, meaning only fools patronise boutiques. As one of the dumping grounds for second-hand clothing items, ranging from children’s wears and toys to adults’ undergarments, bags, shoes, jewellery and toiletries, the vibrancy of the market clearly describes the acceptance of these goods to the Nigerian populace.

In fact, in the universities, many of the campus ‘happening babes and guys’, as those very social are called, get most of their designer wears from this source. The traders, some of them students, pay a certain amount of money for the privilege of being the ones who make the first pick from freshly-opened bales which they resell.

The main source of clothing for many students is the expansive market, where everything wearable from head to toe is second-hand. One interesting discovery is that sanitary pads are also sold at cheap rates at these markets – although this correspondent cannot tell whether they are second-hand or new.

It has also become customary for some boutique owners to pick the clothes and first wash, in order to get rid of a distinctive smell the materials usually bear, before displaying them as designer labels. Interestingly, most of those who patronise them know the items are second-hand. But not everyone knows that the importation of these items is prohibited by the Nigerian government; and they may not know that some of them have negative health implications.

For a trader at the Aswani Market, Oshodi, where these goods are also sold, people buy second-hand materials because they are afraid of buying sub-standard goods from stall where new ones are sold. According to the young man who gave his name as Vincent Kalu, second-hand goods last longer than new ones.

He says, “You will find out that these new clothes are manufactured in mass. So, sometimes, apart from the fact that they may not last, you may dress up feeling like ‘a big girl’ - only to find out that your neighbour in secondary school has the same outfit as you. But when you buy second-hand clothe, you can hardly find an identical one anywhere else.”

Another trader, Anuli Okeke, says, “I sell okrika bags because I use them. They are more durable than most new bags. You can use them over and over again. In that way, you are getting maximum benefit of your money.” ‘Okrika’ and ‘tokunbo’ are two of the popular nomenclatures of second-hand materials.

But these items are not limited to clothing materials. Other household objects such as dinner sets, cell phones and their parts, automobiles, music system and other electronics are also in high demand in the second-hand market. And despite several warnings that Nigeria maybe turned into a dumping ground for toxic wastes, emanating from the importation of second-hand goods, the patronage of these goods seems to be on the increase. One of the reasons often given for the ever-increasing patronage is the low cost of such goods.

But it is surprising to note that some of these second-hand goods are sold at almost the same price as their new counterparts, especially if such carry designer labels in the case of clothing materials. This particularly applies to some vehicle spare parts.

According to Kalu, some skirts sell for as much as N3, 000 while Okeke’s bags are sold between N3, 500 and N5, 000. The reason Kalu gave for his high price is that his clothes were not substandard materials from China but rather from Europe and the US. Is it then a question of the affordability of the second-hand goods, ignorance on the part of the buyers or a lack of proper sensitisation on the part of the government?

Clement Apas, an automobile spare part dealer at the popular Ladipo Market, Mushin, says most people prefer buying tokunbo products since the infiltration of China products into the Nigerian market. But he also adds that Nigerians are responsible for the importation of such substandard goods.

He notes, “The problem is not with the government. It is not as if they are not doing their job, the problem is with our importers who tell the Chinese people to produce substandard goods. To them the lesser the quality, the cheaper the price and they are happy with the bargain. Although you can argue that the Chinese could have turned them down but on the other hand, you have to understand that business is business.”

Apas, however, adds that the fault of the Nigerian government is the inability to check the importation of these substandard goods. To him, it is as a result of the ineffectiveness of the Customs Service.

But while Apas and most people may be quick to point the accusing finger at the perceived inability of the men of the Nigerian Customs Service to check the importation of these items, by putting certain policies in place, the service has a different view on the issue. The Public Relations Officer, Nigerian Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit, Ikeja, Mr. Austin Nwobodo, notes that the onus is on the Federal Government to make policies on second-hand goods.

He says, “Customs Service does not make policies, rather we implement those made by the government. Specifically, on second-hand goods, there are guidelines to follow.”

Nwobodo explains that while some second-hand goods are prohibited, others are not. “Prohibited items are those the government has said should not be allowed into the country at all, and they include used fridges, compressors and clothes. But those that can be imported are automobiles with specifications and some electronics. Those that are prohibited are considered harmful to both the environment and human health,” he adds.

Threat to reproductive organs?

According to a 2008 report by the United Nations, on the possible effects on human health and the environment in Africa of some trade products, second-hand goods may contain mercury and lead. Mercury is said to damage brain tissues while lead destroys the reproductive system, with effects such as decreased sperm count in men and spontaneous abortions in women. They have also been associated with high lead exposure. The developing fetus is at particularly high risk from maternal lead exposure, with low birth weight and slowed post-natal neurobehavioural development likely.

The report also says that these items may contain cadmium, a chemical substance that causes damage to the kidneys.

In 2007, an American NGO, Basel Action Network, published a report that about 500 containers with over 400,000 second-hand computers were unloaded in Lagos every month. Also, the Director–General, National Environmental Standards and Regulatory Agency, Dr Ngeri Benebo, notes that the number of second-hand materials coming into the country is high. According to her, the increasing volume of imported electronic wastes should be a concern to all Nigerians.

Speaking on the ‘Global Perspective of E-waste”, Benebo posits that Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), also known as e-waste, poses a grave danger. “WEEE contains hazardous constituents that may negatively impart the environment and affect human health if not properly managed as it is the case in developing countries which lack adequate infrastructure to manage wastes safely,” she says.

However, despite these warnings, those involved in the illegal business of importing these goods have become more deviant than ever in their illicit trade, employing all means to succeed and beat any security check. According to Nwobodo, the punishment for defaulters is either prosecution or seizure of goods, which are destroyed or auctioned after court proceedings depending on the item. He adds that part of the problem is that many Nigerians easily get carried away by foreign products.