Following the footstep of Lagos State Government, the Federal Government has announced a ban on single-use plastics in all its agencies as part of measure to improve sanity in the environment.
The Minister of State for Environment, Iziaq Adekunle Salako, made this known after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in Abuja, yesterday. Salako said the ban conformed with government’s plastic waste management strategy.
“This initiative demonstrates our commitment to addressing the triple threat of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution,” he said. The minister said plastic pollution had been a major issue in Nigeria.
However, the hierarchy of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has reacted to the ban, saying it would have consequences on the manufacturing sector as already shown by that of Lagos State.
President of MAN, Otunba Francis Meshioye, in an interview with New Telegraph, explained that the newly introduced Green Tax on single-use plastics has been a topical issue in the country’s manufacturing sector, because of the deadline slated for June 2025. Meshioye said: “Permit me to make reference to two of such instances.
Within the first two months of this year, a ban was placed on single use plastics and styrofoam packs by the Lagos State Government, and NAFDAC, in similar fashion, placed a ban on alcoholic beverages in pet bottles and sachet below 200ml.
“The former was done outside the timeframe set by the national policy and the latter based on unfounded assumptions; both without due consideration for the economic and social impact of those unwarranted decisions.
“The negative impact of these policies on the manufacturing industries affected as well as the huge number of workers whose jobs are on the line cannot be overemphasised.”