Nigeria to curb imports of "toxic" old computers

ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria plans to slap duties on old computers imported for spare parts because much of the excess material is later dumped and causes toxic waste, Information Minister John Odey said on Wednesday.

Currently, importers can ship in old computers duty free. They are then gutted for spare parts and the unwanted bits are thrown away.

"This action became necessary because they are found to have toxic waste that causes cancer and other hazards to health," he said.

Burning piles of refuse are a common sight by the side of the road in Nigerian cities while huge dumps proliferate in densely populated areas.