As part of efforts to address the growing concerns of climate change in Nigeria, the federal government has placed a ban on single-use plastics in all ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs)
Iziaq Salako, minister of state for environment, said that the ban was approved on Tuesday during the federal executive council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu.
Salako said that the ban aligns with Tinubu’s administration’s broader plastic waste management strategy and demonstrates the government’s commitment to tackling the triple threat of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, adding that the ban was also in line with the 2022 national policy on plastic waste management.
Salako stressed the severity of plastic pollution in Nigeria, describing it as “a major issue in our country” while also lamenting that plastic waste often clogs drains and contributes to flooding, while also polluting the oceans and affecting human health and the environment.
Read also:US pledges to be a climate finance leader but defends gas expansion
He explained that the ban is part of the administration’s efforts to promote responsible plastic waste management by refusing, reducing, reusing, repurposing, and recycling.
Salako added that the ban serves as a leading example for the Nigerian populace to be environmentally responsible and use plastic waste judiciously.
“The federal ministry of environment proposed and the federal executive council approved the ban on the use of on-the-go plastics, what we know as single-use plastics, in all ministries, agencies, and departments of the federal governments,” the minister said. “This is in line with the 2022 national policy on gas-to-waste management,”.
Speaking further, he said “We must say that the discussion in Exco was very smooth because all members of Exco, including Mr. President, were very enthusiastic about this ban. “As you know, plastic is one of the key challenges that we face when we go to our drains. And when we talk about the issue of flooding, we find out that plastic waste is heavily criminalised,”.
Story was adapted from TheCable.
