The Federal Government has announced a ban on single-use plastics in all its Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
This decision, disclosed by the Minister of State for Environment, Adekunle Salako, followed the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the State House in Abuja on Tuesday.
Salako highlighted that this ban is a crucial element of the government’s broader strategy for plastic waste management, which aims to address the interconnected issues of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.
The ban
“This initiative demonstrates our commitment to addressing the triple threat of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution,” Salako stated, emphasising the severity of plastic pollution in Nigeria.
“Plastic waste is a major issue in our country,” Salako lamented, pointing out that plastic waste clogs drains, contributes to flooding, pollutes oceans, and poses significant risks to human health and the environment.
He emphasized that the ban on single-use plastics is aligned with the 2022 national policy on plastic waste management, which promotes responsible plastic usage through the principles of refusing, reducing, reusing, repurposing, and recycling.
The Minister stressed the importance of setting an example for the Nigerian populace.
“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,” he explained. “This is in line with the 2022 national policy on gas-to-waste management.”
The decision, which received enthusiastic support from all members of the FEC, including President Tinubu, aims to mitigate the environmental impact of plastic waste.
“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 criminalized,” Salako noted.
He added, “So for us to adequately and properly use all five principles of sustainability in terms of refusing, reducing, reusing, repurposing, and recycling, the council has approved that, with some framework being put in place, there will be no longer the use of single-use plastics in all ministries, departments, and agencies of governments.”
What you should know
- This federal initiative follows closely on the heels of the Lagos State government’s ban on single-use plastics.
- The Lagos State ban, announced earlier this year, was part of the state’s environmental policies aimed at reducing plastic waste and its detrimental effects on the environment.
- The Lagos State government implemented the ban on single-use plastics as a response to the alarming levels of plastic waste that have plagued the state’s drainage systems and coastal areas.
- By extending the ban to a national level, the federal government aims to replicate the policy and further protect Nigeria’s environment.
- According to Salako, the ban is to serve as a leading example to the Nigerian populace to know that all citizens have to be environmentally responsible and use plastic waste responsibly.
