The Federal Government has enacted a ban on single-use plastics across all its Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). This significant policy shift was announced by the Minister of State for Environment, Adekunle Salako, following a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu at the State House in Abuja on Tuesday.
Minister Salako emphasized that this ban forms a critical part of the government’s comprehensive strategy for plastic waste management, addressing the intertwined challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. “This initiative demonstrates our commitment to addressing the triple threat of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution,” Salako remarked, highlighting the severity of plastic pollution in Nigeria.
Plastic waste, Salako lamented, is a major issue in the country, leading to clogged drains, contributing to flooding, polluting oceans, and posing significant risks to human health and the environment. He noted that the ban on single-use plastics aligns with the 2022 national policy on plastic waste management, which advocates for responsible plastic usage through principles of refusing, reducing, reusing, repurposing, and recycling.
“This decision is in line with the 2022 national policy on gas-to-waste management,” Salako explained. He stressed the importance of setting an example for the Nigerian populace, stating, “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 government.”
The decision, which received enthusiastic support from all FEC members, including President Tinubu, aims to mitigate the environmental impact of plastic waste. Salako pointed out that plastic waste is a significant contributor to flooding issues, stating, “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.”
To effectively implement the five principles of sustainability—refusing, reducing, reusing, repurposing, and recycling—the council approved a framework to eliminate the use of single-use plastics in all MDAs. This move is expected to significantly reduce the environmental footprint of government operations and inspire similar actions across the nation. Federal High Court Restrains Ikeja Electric and NERC from Implementing Tariff Increases
