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  • Building a circular Nigeria: Converting plastic waste into opportunity

    Building a circular Nigeria: Converting plastic waste into opportunity

    By Samuel Okafor

    Across Nigeria’s bustling cities and growing peri-urban communities, the signs of progress are everywhere – expanding markets, rising consumption, and a youthful population driving demand. Yet this growth brings with it a familiar challenge: plastic waste.

    From busy Lagos streets to the creeks of Niger Delta, discarded packaging often clogs drains, litters markets, and seeps into waterways, threatening livelihoods and ecosystems alike.

    Nigeria generates an estimated 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste each year, with less than 10 per cent effectively recycled.

    Across West Africa, more than 80 per cent of plastic waste remains mismanaged, posing risks to public health, biodiversity, and coastal economies. But amid these challenges, a quiet transformation is underway, driven by collaboration, innovation, and policy reform.

    Private sector leadership

    The private sector is increasingly at the forefront of efforts to address Nigeria’s plastic challenge. Not only through corporate initiatives but by shaping the systems that make circularity possible.

    One of the most notable of these collaborations is Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA), a coalition of forward-looking companies accelerating sustainable waste management in the country.

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    Established as the first Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) in Nigeria, FBRA advances Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and ensuring  producers and importers of packaged goods take responsibility for the post-consumer stage of their packaging materials.

    Through partnerships with government regulators like National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), FBRA is driving the institutionalisation of EPR in Nigeria. Its advocacy and technical support have informed development of national policies, standard operating frameworks, and recycling models that are replicated across sectors.

    Driving impact together

    FBRA’s strength lies in collective responsibility. Its member companies are not only funding and expanding recovery systems but also building scalable solutions that make recycling work in the real world.

    Across the value chain, organisations are investing in aggregation networks, supporting collection agents, developing recycling infrastructure, and creating demand for recycled materials, turning plastic waste into economic opportunity.

  • Building a Circular Nigeria: How private sector collaboration is transforming plastic waste into opportunity

    Building a Circular Nigeria: How private sector collaboration is transforming plastic waste into opportunity

    Across Nigeria’s bustling cities and growing peri-urban communities, the signs of progress are everywhere – expanding markets, rising consumption, and a youthful population driving demand. Yet this growth brings with it a familiar challenge: plastic waste. From busy Lagos streets to the creeks of the Niger Delta, discarded packaging often clogs drains, litters markets, and seeps into waterways, threatening livelihoods and ecosystems alike.

    Nigeria generates an estimated 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste each year, with less than 10% effectively recycled. Across West Africa, more than 80% of plastic waste remains mismanaged, posing risks to public health, biodiversity, and coastal economies. But amid these challenges, a quiet transformation is underway, driven by collaboration, innovation, and policy reform.

    Private Sector Leadership: Strengthening the Recycling Ecosystem

    The private sector is increasingly at the forefront of efforts to address Nigeria’s plastic challenge. Not only through corporate initiatives but by shaping the systems that make circularity possible.

    One of the most notable of these collaborations is the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA), a coalition of forward-looking companies working to accelerate sustainable waste management across the country. Established as the first Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) in Nigeria, FBRA plays a pivotal role in advancing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and ensuring that producers and importers of packaged goods take active responsibility for the post-consumer stage of their packaging materials.

    Through partnerships with government regulators such as the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), FBRA is driving the institutionalisation of EPR in Nigeria. Its advocacy and technical support have informed the development of national policies, standard operating frameworks, and recycling models that are now being replicated across sectors.

    Driving Impact Together: Private Sector Commitment in Action

    FBRA’s strength lies in collective responsibility. Its member companies are not only funding and expanding recovery systems but also building scalable solutions that make recycling work in the real world. Across the value chain, organisations are investing in aggregation networks, supporting collection agents, developing recycling infrastructure, and creating demand for recycled materials, turning plastic waste into economic opportunity for thousands of Nigerians.

    One example of this commitment in action is Nestlé Nigeria, a founding member of FBRA, whose investments in community-based recycling and circular packaging innovation are helping shape industry standards.

    Nestlé Nigeria: Advancing Circularity Through Collaboration and Innovation

    As a founding member of FBRA, Nestlé Nigeria continues to play an integral role in expanding the recycling ecosystem and promoting responsible waste management nationwide.

    Since 2019, the organisation has facilitated the diversion of over 61,000 tonnes of plastic waste from landfills through its partnerships with FBRA, recyclers, and local social enterprises such as Chanja Datti, Wecyclers and Maladase Ecopreneur Management Ltd. One of its key initiatives, the Plastic Advantage Programme, empowers 43 mini-aggregators through training, equipment support, and access to stable off-take markets. This approach not only strengthens local collection systems but also enables inclusive economic participation for waste entrepreneurs.

    Today, some of the plastics recovered through these initiatives are rechanneled into Nestlé Nigeria’s 50% rPET inclusion project for its water brands – a first-of-its-kind achievement in Nigeria, Nestlé is the first company in the country to attain any level of recycled PET inclusion, with 50% representing the highest permissible standard under current regulatory guidelines. This milestone underscores Nestlé’s leadership in advancing circular packaging solutions, setting a benchmark for the industry while inspiring broader adoption of sustainable practices. Beyond reducing dependence on virgin plastics, the initiative contributes meaningfully to the national circular economy agenda, where waste is transformed into value and innovation supports environmental resilience.

    Complementing these efforts is the Nestlé Employee Plastics Collection Scheme, which encourages employees to bring their recyclables to the office for recycling . The initiative drives sustainable behaviour change and allows employees to actively support Nestlé’s vision of a waste-free future. It reflects the company’s belief that true circularity starts from within

    Policy, Partnership, and Purpose: The Path Ahead

    The progress achieved by FBRA, Nestlé, and other industry leaders underscores a vital truth: sustainability thrives where collaboration exists. Through shared responsibility, clear policy direction, and private-sector investment, Nigeria is gradually building the foundations of a circular economy, one capable of turning plastic waste into social and economic opportunity.

    Yet, the journey is far from over. Without sustained action, plastic pollution could continue to outpace growth, threatening the very ecosystems that support communities and commerce. The path forward demands continued multi-stakeholder engagement, stronger enforcement of EPR regulations, and scalable innovations that make recycling accessible to every household.

    Nestlé’s experience demonstrates that with commitment and collaboration, meaningful progress is not just possible, it is already taking shape. What started as focused efforts in waste recovery has grown into a model of shared value creation, where environmental stewardship, business growth, and community development advance hand in hand toward a more sustainable future.

  • Nigeria partner Germany to tackle plastic waste in oceans

    Nigeria partner Germany to tackle plastic waste in oceans

    The Federal Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with the German government, has launched a joint initiative aimed at reducing plastic waste leakage into the oceans of Nigeria and Ghana through improved circular economy strategies, enhanced waste management, and strengthened institutional capacity.

    The initiative, part of the broader PROTEGO Project—Prevention of Marine Litter in the Gulf of Guinea, reflects a unified commitment by both countries to promote a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable environment.

    Speaking at a Capacity Building Workshop on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in Abuja, Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, represented by the Director-General of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW), Saleh Abubakar, described the program as a symbol of international collaboration.

    He noted that the initiative, funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment and implemented by adelphi Research, Germany, demonstrates a strong resolve to tackle marine pollution and advance environmental protection across West Africa.

    Read Also: Plastic waste constitutes danger in our homes, says Olawepo-Hashim

    Lawal noted, “This is a PROTEGO project which was launched in July 2024 and will span to June 2027, it will be a driving force in reducing plastic waste and leakages in Nigeria and Ghana oceans fostering circular economic strategies, enhancing waste management, and building critical capacities.

    “The urgency of our mission cannot be overstated, given Nigeria’s vulnerability as a country with over 850 kilometers of Atlantic coastline. Annually, approximately 14 million tons of plastic choke the world’s oceans, threatening our biodiversity, impacting our vital marine ecosystems, and diminishing the beauty of our coastlines. 

    This is a global challenge, but its solutions must be rooted locally, driven by innovation, and powered by unwavering commitment and collaboration by all stakeholders.”

    The minister added that a particularly noteworthy aspect of Nigeria’s EPR framework is the explicit commitment to the inclusion of the informal sector. “We recognize the invaluable role played by our waste pickers, aggregators, and small-scale collectors. They are the unsung heroes who have for long been the backbone of waste recovery in our communities”, he said.

    The Director General, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, NESREA Prof. Innocent Barikor noted that marine pollution and plastic waste remain pressing challenges, posing significant threats to our ecosystems, public health, and economic sustainability, with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) emerging globally as a proven and proactive policy instrument to addressing these challenges. It places the responsibility of post-consumer waste squarely where it belongs—on the producers.

  • Plastic waste and fishes in Lagos: Time to act

    Plastic waste and fishes in Lagos: Time to act

    • By Israel Ademola Okeyinka

    Plastic pollution is a global crisis causing extensive public health and environmental problems. Given the fact that Nigeria has no policy in place to tackle the issue of micro-plastics, hazardous substances such as Per and poly-fluoroalkyl, known as PFAS, are major chemicals in some plastics used and have been associated with degrading health when they leach into the soil and water bodies.

    Lagos State is a major concern due to its population increasing daily; population affects the amount of waste generated globally, and it’s a major factor for manufacturers, producers, and importers to consider before investing their products in any location. As these materials are managed for post-consumer use, they can end up incinerated, landfilled, and exported or end up in the ocean – causing additional damage to human health and the environment. Examples of the effects on the oceans include reports that 14 million tons of plastic end up in our ocean globally per year, the scientific discovery of micro-plastic in food, water, air, human lungs, blood, and placenta, and reports of the amounts of plastic in the oceans tripling by 2050. If actions are not taken, plastic will replace our fishes.

    Nigeria’s coastline stretches over 850 kilometres along the Gulf of Guinea, encompassing communities vibrant with life and rich in marine biodiversity. Yet, these coastal areas are under plastic waste attack, According to data from the World Bank, Lagos is responsible for about 850 thousand tons of plastic waste annually, of which less than 10% is recycled. Implementing the gradual ban on some of the single-use plastic would reduce plastic litter in streets and waterways, helping to mitigate flooding risks in a city that experiences heavy rainfall. It is a crisis that requires immediate action and sustainable coastal policies.

    Comprehensive policy strategies are needed to address the plastic pollution crisis’ full extent. Strategies that reduce and eliminate these materials at the source, strengthen material recovery processes to improve the recyclability of materials through effective recycled content strategies, eliminate the use of hazardous substances in these materials, and require producers of the materials to steward their end-of-life all work together to advance zero waste and a circular economy.

    Despite commendable policies like the National Policy on Plastic Waste Management (2020) and the Extended Producer Responsibility Program, implemented by the National Environment Standard and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), the Circular Economy Roadmap, Nigeria National Plastic Action Partnership, plastic waste remains pervasive. Ghost nets entangle marine mammals, single-use plastics clog waterways, and micro-plastics infiltrate fish consumed by millions.

    The problem isn’t just policy but execution. Recycling infrastructure is sparse, weak regulation enforcement, and lacking public awareness. What good are policies on paper if they don’t translate to cleaner oceans and healthier communities?

    The benefits of shifting to a sustainable alternative are undeniable, we should begin to consider research into these areas and create a round table discussion across all industries to come up with circular economy solutions that engender behavioural change and create new revenue and social responsibility models across all tiers of commercial and community ecosystems.

    We must act decisively: I urge the Lagos State Government to revive the local government structure which I believe is the most sustainable way to curb plastic waste in different regions in the state, create different collection and recycling hubs in each local government to promote easy access to the people, promote  Retrieve-and-Reward Schemes; Imagine if every discarded plastic bottle or ghost net was worth something, community members would rally to clean up our coasts, driven by tangible incentives.

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     We must ban harmful additives, by eliminating non-recyclable dyes and pigments, which will increase the value of recycled plastics, fuelling a circular economy. Gradual ban on certain plastics: implementing a phased approach to banning non-biodegradable plastics, starting with the most problematic products like plastic bags and straws, beach regulations should be in place to monitor activities around our water bodies.

     Moreover, we must not relent on creative public awareness campaigns, coastal and waterways clean-ups, and outreach programs to schools and low-income communities, which should continue sustainably to inspire the younger generation and citizens to be part of the solution, not the problem. Lagos is a busy city; we must be intentional with our approach.

    I urge the people of Lagos State, and businesses to cooperate with the Lagos State government on the radical move to tackle plastic waste in our society and practice good disposal measures for plastic waste by segregating from source, partnering with your local government recycler and making sure your single-use plastic does not end in the ocean or landfills.

    I call on environmentalists, advocates, educators, NGOs, and advocacy and research organizations, media, social media influencers to continue the good work with the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, partner with and influence policymakers, and decision-makers to create sustainable and unbiased policies that will make a lasting change and achieve a clean, healthier, sustainable, and plastic waste-free ocean and environment. If Ghana and Kenya can lead plastic ban and recycling innovations in Africa, Nigeria can too. If the solution can be envisioned, it is achievable. Plastic pollution is not just an environmental issue—it’s a national emergency. Let’s move beyond words and commit to action. The oceans we save today will safeguard our tomorrow.

    •Okeyinka writes from University of California, Davis, USA.

  • Foundation to combat single-use plastic waste

    Foundation to combat single-use plastic waste

    A non-profit organisation, Printrite Foundation for Sustainable Environment and Education has launched an initiative aimed at reducing the environmental impact of single-use plastics.

    The initiative called the Plastic Alternative Container (PAC) Project, introduced a range of practical and sustainable containers as substitutes for conventional single-use plastics.

    The move came in response to the growing concerns over plastic pollution and its adverse health effects in Nigeria.

    Addressing reporters during the launch of the project in Abuja yesterday, the Chief Executive Officer of Printrite Global Services, Mr Austine Igwe, emphasised the importance of collective responsibility in tackling environmental challenges.

    According to him, the PAC Project features biodegradable and 100 per cent recyclable materials designed to replace non-degradable plastics commonly used in markets and other commercial spaces.

    The goal, he said, is to provide a practical solution that not only reduces plastic waste but also minimises health risks associated with plastic usage.

    He added that the initiative goes beyond merely advocating for policy changes.

    “While advocacy is important, we felt the need to take a step further by offering a viable alternative.

    Read Also: Fed govt, EPR develop national guidelines for plastic waste

    “It’s not just about asking the government to ban single-use plastics; it’s about providing practical, eco-friendly substitutes that people can adopt easily,” he said.

    He also highlighted the importance of providing alternatives alongside any government ban on single-use plastics.

    “Banning without offering an alternative won’t solve the problem. It could lead to smuggling and continued illegal use.

    “We believe that if the government adopts this initiative, a simultaneous ban coupled with the availability of these alternative containers will make it easier for people to comply.

     “We believe it’s time to move beyond discussions and take concrete action. This project is our step towards addressing the issue of single-use plastics and promoting healthier, more sustainable alternatives,” Igwe added.

    In his keynote, the Programme Manager, Energy and Circular Economy at European Union delegation to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Godfrey Ogbemudia, said unsustainable consumption and waste management practices are contributing to a severe global plastic pollution crisis that requires urgent action beyond current initiatives.

    Ogbemudia stressed the importance of involving citizens and diverse stakeholders in the environmental policy-making process.

    He noted that public participation provides valuable insights that help government officials better understand community needs and priorities. Engaging stakeholders also fosters ownership of policies, making implementation smoother and more effective.

  • Fed govt, EPR develop national guidelines for plastic waste

    Fed govt, EPR develop national guidelines for plastic waste

    The Minister of State Ministry of Environment, Iziaq Adekunle Salako, disclosed on Wednesday, September 18, that the federal government, through the National Environmental Standard Enforcement Agency (NESREA), is addressing the issue of plastic waste.

    He said the government is developing a national guideline for the implementation of the upcoming Plastic Waste Control Regulations under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Programme.

    The minister, represented by the director of solid waste, Ahmadu Jibril, made this announcement during the stakeholders’ meeting on the draft national guidelines for the implementation of the Extended Producer Responsibility EPR programme.

    He stated that the government is a signatory to the Basel Convention, which aims to protect human health and the environment by establishing appropriate control mechanisms and regulations for hazardous waste generated by the international community.

    The Convention also aims to reduce the number of transboundary movements and quantity of hazardous waste to a minimum and manage and dispose of these wastes in an environmentally sound manner.

    A few years ago, the Convention was amended to include plastic waste as hazardous.

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    This prohibits the transportation of plastic waste from one country to another.

    Governments are not only required to ensure the environmentally sound management of plastic waste but also to tackle plastic waste at its source.

    He said: “Nigeria is a Signatory to the Basel Convention and therefore like all other Signatory Party States it is obliged to take urgent measures towards the environmentally sound management and regulation of waste arising from plastics. The environmental concerns regarding plastic wasteland can never be over-emphasised.”

    The director general of NESREA, Innocent Bariko noted that the country is at a critical juncture in its collective efforts to address the pressing challenges posed by plastic waste in the environment. “The guidelines we are discussing are not just a regulatory framework, they represent a commitment to sustainable development, environmental stewardship, and the health of the communities”.

    This EPR guideline is plastic packaging sector-specific and provides a comprehensive framework that outlines the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders, including the private sector, the public sector, and civil society.

    It emphasised collaboration and partnership among all parties involved.

    The guidelines set clear targets for the collection, recycling, and recovery of plastic waste, ensuring that the country moves towards a circular economy where materials are reused and recycled rather than discarded.

    Other aspects of plastics Household goods are varieties of rigid and multipurpose materials used for household and individual purposes including combs, hangers, pegs/clips, toothbrushes, brooms, and spatula.