By Isaac Anyaogu
LAGOS (Reuters) – Nigeria announced on Tuesday a ban on single-use plastic in government offices, the first step towards a nationwide ban to come into force in January next year, a move that could spark a storm of outrage in a country that is highly dependent on plastic.
According to a recent study by the US Agency for International Development, Nigeria is one of the world’s biggest plastic polluters. The country produces over 2.5 million tons of plastic waste annually, over 70 percent of which ends up in the oceans and landfills.
“If you look at the national plastic waste management policy adopted in 2020, it stipulates that certain categories of plastic will be banned in Nigeria by 2025,” said Deputy Minister of Environment Iziaq Salako.
“The federal government is preparing Nigerians for what is to come and is setting a good example,” he said.
Most of the banned materials are single-use plastics, including straws, cutlery, plastic bottles and small water bags, which pose a major problem for the country, he said.
Nigeria announced a national policy to curb plastic waste pollution in 2020, when the total annual amount of plastic waste was around 1.5 million tonnes, according to the plan seen by Reuters.
The document shows how proper plastic waste management can create a circular economy in which plastic design, production and use lead to recycling and reuse.
Since then, the amount of plastic waste has risen sharply in fast-growing cities like Lagos, where an estimated 17 to 20 million people live. A study by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) this year found that an estimated 50 to 60 million used water bags are thrown onto the streets every day.
In January, Lagos State announced a ban on single-use plastic and Styrofoam, widely used in food supply and delivery by street vendors, arguing that it clogs drains and water channels.
Nigeria is currently working on a new plastic consumption policy that aims to phase out plastic waste. Manufacturers will be required to switch to alternatives within five years and imports will be strictly regulated.
Analysts say implementation may be bumpy at first, but a nationwide ban is long overdue.
“It’s good to start with the low-hanging fruit, which is single-use plastics. And introducing it into government offices is a good sign,” said Leslie Adogame, executive director of Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development, a Nigerian nonprofit.
(Reporting by Isaac Anyaogu, editing by Alexandra Hudson)
