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Reps Panel Warns Of Risks From Plastic Ban

by admin on | 2026-09-04 17:21:44

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Reps Panel Warns Of Risks From Plastic Ban

By Muhammad Bala Imam 

The House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on Preparedness for the Single-Use Plastic Ban in Nigeria has warned that an abrupt nationwide ban could trigger massive job losses, business closures, supply-chain disruptions and higher consumer prices, recommending a phased and evidence-based transition instead.

The committee, chaired by Terseer Ugbor, Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Environment, made the recommendation in Abuja at the unveiling of the National Environmental (Plastic Waste Control) Regulations, 2026, Stakeholders’ Implementation Dialogue and inaugural Multi-Stakeholder Roundtable on Less Plastic in Water, organised by the NESREA.

The committee said the transition should be supported by targeted fiscal measures, including a Green Tax and stronger Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) obligations for plastic producers and importers.

It also proposed consideration of an immediate ban on lightweight plastics below 40 microns.

According to the committee, Nigeria generates close to 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, with less than 10 per cent formally recycled, adding that the situation contributes to blocked drainage systems and the leakage of plastic waste into marine ecosystems.

The committee warned that an immediate ban could particularly affect small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that may be unable to afford the machinery required to switch to alternative packaging.

It therefore recommended a phased legislative and regulatory schedule, harmonisation of federal and state plastic regulations, stronger enforcement, recycling incentives, and retooling support for affected businesses and workers.

The committee stressed that revenue from green taxation and EPR could be channelled into recycling infrastructure and used to support the development of a nationwide circular economy.

The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Salihu Usman, also called for an integrated approach to environmental protection and economic development.

He described the transition to a circular plastic economy as an environmental, public health, employment and governance project, stressing that waste could become a raw material for new industries through efficient collection, processing and recycling.

The Ministry further said it was implementing the Federal Executive Council’s directive on the phase-out of PET bottles, Styrofoam bags and straws within government ministries. It supported staged implementation, mandatory impact assessments, a clear EPR framework and ring-fenced financing for affected workers and SMEs.

The Director General of NESREA,  Professor Innocent Barikor warned that a sudden blanket ban could affect access to clean drinking water and lead to significant job losses, advocating a phased transition towards full circularity by 2030.

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria proposed a gradual phase-out over 14 years, while the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance recommended a one-to-two-year ban on Styrofoam and lightweight nylons below 40 microns, followed by expanded EPR obligations for PET bottles and water sachets.

The committee maintained that Nigeria’s plastic pollution crisis requires urgent intervention but cautioned that the transition must protect jobs, businesses and industrial livelihoods.

It said a successful single-use plastic ban should be implemented through a carefully designed roadmap combining phased regulation, green fiscal incentives, industrial support and effective enforcement.