Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo, Greater Accra Regional Minister, on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama, performed the sod cutting, tree planting and unveiling of the e-waste recycling facility at the weekend.

The facility is to be built in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency and is expected to recycle all electronic and electrical waste into final products “in an environmentally sound manner”.

Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Okoe Vanderpuye, the Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive said the facility would bring relief to the Agbogbloshie and surrounding communities which had been exposed to toxic pollutants generated from burning of e-waste in the area.

Nii Afotey Agbo said the facility together with its entire value chain would generate more than 400,000 jobs for Ghanaians.“The facility will hire existing workers of the Agbogbloshie scrap yard, while others would undergo retraining to enable them undertake proper recycling jobs,” he said.

Mr Francis Bullen Gavor, Project Consultant, said: “One of Africa’s biggest e-waste dumpsite at Agbogbloshie has recently been cited among the top 10 most polluted sites in the world. “It is therefore important to find innovative ways to manage the e-waste generated in our various communities,” he added.

According to him, through the new facility, “harmful elements associated with waste products will be captured and processed safely, thereby preserving critical ecological components”. Mr Gavor encouraged individuals to bring their e- waste to the collection centres to be paid for.

He said the project when completed, “would ensure the value-chain management of e-waste and electrical equipment in an environmentally sound manner”.  He expressed optimism that it would turn the current challenges of electronic and electrical waste management into viable business opportunities for Ghanaians.