The Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is considering banning workers from using single-use plastic in all ministries, departments, and agencies.
This is coming days after the Lagos State government announced the ban on the usage and distribution of plastics across the state.
The Minister of State for Environment, Dr. Iziaq Salako who disclosed this at the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency’s Second Chemical Handler and Users workshop on Tuesday, stated that the ministry will be seeking approval from the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to ban the use of the plastics in the government offices.
The minister, who commending the state government for the initiative, highlighted some of the measures being taken to promote circular economy which include strengthening relevant policies and institutional framework, building the capacity of manufacturers and producers to embrace the principle of cleaner production and enforcement of national policies on chemical management.
The minister seized the occasion to reiterate the commitment of the Federal Government to the elimination of single-used plastics as he implored government department and offices to comply with the new directive.
The second edition of the Chemical Handlers and Users Workshop was at the instance of the Ogun State Ministry of Environment to intimate stakeholders on the need to safeguard the health of the people and the environment by adopting best practices in chemicals handling and waste management.
The seminar was attended by the state environment minister; the Ogun State Deputy Governor, Noimot Salako-Oyedele; members of the State Executive Council; members of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria; among other critical stakeholders.
According to them, unchecked handling of waste and chemicals have been responsible for loss of biodiversity, pollution of underground water and increase of non-communicable diseases.
With this in mind, they called for the embrace of circular solutions in chemical and waste management to guarantee more efficient production.
Meanwhile, environmental groups on Monday declared support for the ban placed on Styrofoam and single-use plastics in Lagos by the state government.
The groups noted that government policies were crucial to combatting plastic pollution more than grassroots solutions.
The non-governmental organisations, U-recycle Initiative Africa, Plogging Nigeria, Green With Grin, and others noted that “we express our full support for the recent decision made by the Lagos State Government to ban the use of styrofoam food packs in the state.”
“As youth-led organisations dedicated to promoting environmental stewardship and sustainability, we have conducted climate education outreaches in rural communities, organised weekly cleanups across universities, and developed numerous innovative solutions to address the plastic pollution crisis across Lagos,” they said in a joint statement made available to The PUNCH by U-recycle’s Executive Director, Oluwaseyi Moejoh.
The groups noted that grassroots solutions alone “cannot effectively combat plastic pollution crisis without the support of robust policies and systems. Therefore, we commend the Lagos State Government for taking decisive action in banning styrofoam packs, a significant step towards a cleaner and more sustainable future for Lagos and Nigeria.”
Styrofoam is a widely used packaging material popularly known as “takeaways” within the state, which like other single-use plastics, environmentalists note has severe environmental consequences.
“Its non-biodegradable nature contributes to pollution and poses a threat to human health. Styrofoam containers are created using styrene monomers, which could easily leach into stored food and act as carcinogens when consumed,” the environmental groups stressed, adding that “it contributes to the blockage of drainages and waterways, resulting in increased flooding.”
They proposed reusable and biodegradable food packaging materials.
