ABSTRACT
After the second world war, there has been an unparalleled increase in industrialization and economic growth, with a particularly large boom in industry and economic expansion in the 1960s. Simultaneously, the negative impacts of waste generated in the production and consumption of industrial and agricultural goods that affected human wellbeing and the immediate milieu have become a topical issue. Nearly 400 million tons of hazardous waste is produced each year worldwide, with much of it crossing national boundaries. Hazardous waste has found itself in deplorable conditions in dumpsites in less developed countries (LDCs) due to ignorance, poverty, and lack of stringent laws to ensure its sound environmental management. Until the public outcry after the Koko incident of 1988, the control of hazardous wastes was not a severe public health issue in Nigeria. As a result, this study critically examines global and national regimes for controlling the transborder transportation of hazardous waste and its effects on the human environment. It also assessed the impact of the illegal trade in hazardous waste on Africa. In the study, statutes and international treaties formed the primary sources of data, while for the secondary sources, information from sources such as textbooks, the Internet, and journals was utilized.
