Samuel Bello, Abuja
The Federal Government said it has developed a national strategy to phase out non-biodegradable plastics and was presently developing a national policy on plastic waste management.
The Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Jubril, stated this in Abuja as Nigeria joins the rest of the world to celebrate World Earth Day with the theme, “End Plastic Pollution.”
In the press statement, Jubril added that the implementation of a National Plastic Waste Recycling Programme to establish plastic waste recycling plants across the country in partnership with state governments is in progress.
According to him, “eight plants have already been completed and handed over to the states of location, while 18 others are at various stages of completion. The Federal Government is also collaborating with states to establish plastic waste recycling plants under the community-based waste management programme of the Ministry.
“Two plants have been completed in Ilorin, Kwara State, one in Lokoja, Kogi State, while work on another is ongoing in Karu LGA of Nasarawa State. Other locations include Bola Jari in Gombe State and Leda Jari in Kano State.
Jubril added that government was exploring the possibility of banning plastic bags after developing alternatives, while encouraging household and community recycling of plastic bottles as a matter community action and state legislation.
The Minister, while emphasising on the exigency requiring snap decisions, urged the public to use the weekend to celebrate the planet and take action to protect it by ending plastic pollution.
“Plastic pollution is poisoning our oceans and land, injuring marine life and affecting our health.”
In her remarks, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, Dr. Cristiana Pasca Palmer, stressed the need to ban plastic bags, saying unless steps are taken, the problem woulds not going away.
“Unless we take these steps, the problem is not going away. In 1950, the world’s population of 2.5 billion produced 1.5 million tons of plastic; in 2016, a global population of more than 7 billion people produced over 300 million tons of plastic.
“Plastic pollution is now an ever-present challenge. We can see plastics floating in our rivers, ocean, and lagoons, littering our landscapes and affecting our health and, the future of billions of children and youth. We have all contributed to this problem, mostly unknowingly and we must work to reduce and ultimately end plastic pollution,” she said.
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