**3. Challenges confronting green computing**

Green computing is confronted with many challenges. These are categorized into: Manufacturer-induced bottlenecks, Economic challenges, Policy, Consumer attitude, and Social exploitation.

#### **3.1 Manufacturer-induced bottlenecks**

The manufacturer-induced bottlenecks are a major barrier to the adoption, implementation and enforcement of green computing practices and policies. The equipment manufacturer is a major player in the distribution and supply business chain. In the local parlance, the equipment manufacturer is tainted as having 'the fork and the knife' in the sense that the equipment manufacturer is technically the addition to influencing the life span of computing equipment, the manufacturers are in principle aware of how long a device would be supported or maintained. Generally, these manufacturers play a major role in determining when a device becomes obsolete. These they may do by intentionally modifying the design, embedded software, or even withdrawing their support for specific models of the device. They often project the benefits of the newly produced variant of the device in terms of cost and functionalities while at the same time hyping the costs of maintenance of the older models. Experience has shown that many of such claims do not reflect the reality rather the manufacturer's desire to maximize profits at the expense of the consumer and the environment. Another area of concern is the use of materials that are not ecofriendly in the synthesis and production of electronic goods. If green manufacturing is strictly adhered to, green computing challenges would be significantly reduced [50–53]. In the same vein, the power consumption requirements by devices may depend on the manufacturer's specifications and readiness to use ecofriendly and sustainable materials [52]. It therefore follows that manufacturers can drastically reduce power demands by carefully selecting and using materials that require less energy to operate. However, [52] note that manufacturers face challenges of incurring high cost and low returns in their bid to switch to greener technologies, green production and manufacturing processes, compared to the traditional methods. Their study also revealed that these companies encounter difficulties in generating the required energy by greener and/or renewable methods.

#### **3.2 Economic challenges**

Inequities in the distribution of resources is a major factor in the battle against electronic dumping and green technologies. As has been adumbrated by researchers, developing countries are grossly disadvantaged in the management of e-wastes. This may be connected to the poor economies, political will and leadership failure [54]. The developed countries often exploit these gaps while dealing with the developing nations. Due to indebtedness to the developed nations, many developing nations lack the willpower to reject such exploitation. As survival is the ultimate desire of every individual, small and medium scale businesses involving in buying and selling of second-grade electronic products is common. It is also not uncommon to see large businesses who are involved in the importation of these second-hand computing equipment and by extension e-waste. For instance, Alaba market located in the Ojo area of Lagos Nigeria is popularly known in the sub-Saharan Africa for its exploits in deals involving second-hand computing equipment from Europe and America. The same is true for the popular computer village in Lagos and Agbogbloshie in Accra Ghana [55]. In Lagos, these small and medium Majority of these thousands of businesses involving the importation of and trade in fairly used computing products reflect the inequities occasioned on the masses by the leadership and economic maladies. It is important to stress that despite the ban on the importation of some of those goods in developing countries such as Nigeria, such goods are either smuggled or concealed in other cargoes during shipping and inspection of those cargoes at the destination port is often fraught with a lot of irregularities including corruption currently owing to human intervention which has remained a major problem in the inspection and clearance processes at the ports [56–58]. With the rising spate of unemployment and no remedy in sight, it is

believed that trade in contraband goods would always thrive despite the policies and regulations in place. There, the inflow of e-waste is very much likely going to abate in continental Africa till the various governments implement functional policies and machineries to reduce economic hardship and unemployment.
