From Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
Children and youths across several communities in northern Nigeria are increasingly burning used tyres to extract metal cables for sale, a practice that is raising growing alarm among environmental experts due to its severe health and ecological impacts.
A survey conducted by the Head of Communication and Strategies at African Climate Reporters, Comrade Ibrahima Yakubu, reveals that the activity has become a survival strategy for some young people operating in informal waste disposal sites.
According to Yakubu, the process involves setting waste tyres ablaze to retrieve steel wires, which are later sold to generate income.
Some of the youths disclosed that they sell the recovered wires and cables to vendors in the market, where women use them for cooking at home. For others, this trade is the means through which they sustain themselves.
One of the youths, whose real name was withheld, admitted that he was unaware of the health and environmental implications of the smoke. However, he pledged to stop the practice immediately, stating that he would cease burning waste tyres in order to prevent further pollution of the surrounding environment.
Scientists working with African Climate Reporters and other experts have cautioned that the method exposes both the participants and nearby communities to highly toxic emissions.
Yakubu noted that burning tyres releases a complex mixture of hazardous pollutants and fine particulate matter capable of penetrating deep into the respiratory system.
He further explained that vulnerable groups—including children, fetuses, nursing infants, the elderly, asthmatics, and individuals with compromised immune systems—face a heightened risk of adverse health effects. Exposure to fine particulate matter has been linked to worsened asthma conditions and an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Experts emphasize that tyres are not designed for combustion. Their composition includes hazardous substances such as extender oils derived from benzene, styrene—a benzene derivative—and 1,3-butadiene, chemicals associated with serious health risks, including suspected carcinogenicity.
“In addition, emissions from burnt tyres may contain residual metallic wires that are difficult to completely remove during processing, thereby compounding environmental contamination.
Yakubu, who also serves as a science and environmental lecturer at the African Institute of Waste Management and Environmental Studies, warned that toxins attached to fine particulate matter can be inhaled deep into the lungs and may lead to chronic respiratory illnesses over time.
He called on relevant stakeholders, including government agencies, civil society organizations, and community leaders, to intensify sustained public awareness campaigns on the dangers of the practice. He also urged parents to closely monitor the movements and activities of their children.