The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has called on the Lagos State Government to urgently reconsider its planned ban on single-use plastics (SUPs), warning that the move could have far-reaching economic, operational, and social consequences for manufacturers, traders, recyclers, and end users.
The Lagos State Ministry of Environment had announced that a ban on certain SUPs will take effect from July 1, 2025, as part of its strategy to combat environmental pollution.
However, in a statement released by the association, MAN said the ban was not based on credible data, lacked stakeholder engagement, and risked worsening unemployment and poverty.
“Not a plastic problem, but a waste management failure. It is the failure of plastic waste management that leads to pollution, not the material itself,” said Director General of MAN, Segun Ajayi-Kadir.
He warned that banning SUPs would not resolve pollution issues but merely substitute one problem for another, especially without scalable alternatives or infrastructure to support the transition.
Jobs and livelihoods on the line
Citing a study commissioned by MAN, the association highlighted that 100% of manufacturers surveyed expressed fears of job losses and workforce restructuring if the ban is implemented.
Other findings from the study, according to MAN, include:
- 89% of actors in the plastic value chain rely on SUPs as their primary source of income.
- Over 75% of end users, including SMEs, depend on plastic packaging, with no affordable or practical alternatives.
- 93% of dealers, many of whom are women, reported no prior information or social support mechanisms to cushion the impact.
- Recyclers fear reduced availability of plastic feedstock for their underutilized plants.
“There is no form of arrangement for social protection for the employees who will lose their livelihoods as a result of this ban,” the association said.
Economic, trade, and industrial impacts
MAN warned that the ban could also lead to loss of export revenue, especially as many manufacturers based in Lagos distribute to other states and African markets.
It added that this could also disrupt supply chains for sectors that rely on plastics for packaging and lead to a compromise in product integrity, as alternatives such as paper or kenaf are expensive and limited in supply.
The association also noted that recycling capacity in Nigeria remains underutilized due to insufficient plastic collection.
According to MAN, plastic packaging recycling rates are below 15%, compared to 52.5% in the UK and 68.9% in Germany.
Call for a circular economy approach
Instead of an outright ban, MAN advocated for a systems-oriented, circular economy strategy. It urged the government to invest in recycling infrastructure, including sorting and collection systems.
- It also advised the government to support local production of sustainable alternatives and adopt evidence-based policymaking informed by context-specific data.
- MAN urged the state government to engage stakeholders, including manufacturers, recyclers, traders, and consumers, and avoid duplication of existing industry-led recycling efforts, such as the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA).
- The association said the Federal Government had already developed a National Plastic Action Roadmap and a National Policy on Plastic Waste Management (NPPWM), both of which promote circularity and were developed through inclusive consultations.
“Nigeria should not be destroying its petrochemical industry with bans on plastics but should instead close the loop by ensuring that all plastics are recycled,” MAN said.
Citing international examples, MAN noted that many developed economies are not banning plastics but are investing heavily in recycling and alternative materials.
It referenced Canada’s $1.8 billion support for Dow Chemical’s plastic-to-zero plant and warned against Nigeria blindly copying foreign policy models.
