•Says job losses, economic disruption imminent
By Merit Ibe
The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has urged the Lagos State Government to reconsider its proposed ban on single-use plastics (SUPs), warning that the policy, if enforced as planned, could trigger widespread economic, social, and operational disruptions across the manufacturing value chain.
The Lagos State Ministry of the Environment recently announced that the ban would take effect from July 1, 2025, as part of broader efforts to tackle the city’s growing environmental pollution challenges.
In a statement, however, MAN cautioned that the proposed measure was not backed by robust data, lacked adequate consultation with industry players, and could inadvertently worsen unemployment and poverty levels.
“Not a plastic problem, but a waste management failure. It is the failure of plastic waste management that leads to pollution, not the material itself,” said Director General of MAN, Segun Ajayi-Kadir.
He warned that banning SUPs would not resolve pollution issues but merely substitute one problem for another, especially without scalable alternatives or infrastructure to support the transition.
Citing findings from a study it commissioned, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) warned that the planned ban on single-use plastics (SUPs) could trigger significant job losses and business disruptions across the plastics value chain.
According to MAN, “100% of manufacturers surveyed expressed fears of job losses and workforce restructuring if the ban is implemented.”
Additional insights from the study revealed that:89% of participants in the plastics value chain rely on SUPs as their primary source of income; More than 75% of end users, including numerous small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), depend on plastic packaging, with no affordable or viable alternatives currently available; 93% of dealers, many of whom are women entrepreneurs, reported having received no prior information about the ban or access to any form of social support to mitigate its impact; Recyclers also raised concerns about a potential drop in the availability of plastic feedstock, which could further undermine the performance of their already underutilized plants. “There is no form of arrangement for social protection for the employees who will lose their livelihoods as a result of this ban,” the association stressed.
MAN thus advocated for a system-oriented and circular economy strategy instead of an outright ban on the single-use-plastics (SUPs), urging government to invest in recycling infrastructure, including sorting and collection systems.
The association also advised the government to support local production of sustainable alternatives and adopt evidence-based policymaking informed by context-specific data.
The association said the Federal Government had already developed a national plastic Action Roadmap and a National Policy on Plastic Waste Management (NPPWM), both of which promote circularity and were developed through inclusive consultations.
Ajayi-Kadir viewed that the ban focuses on the easiest approach to address the issue of plastic pollution rather than the most sustainable approach that gives balanced attention to social, economic, and environmental considerations.
Ajayi-Kaditr therefore called for discontinuation of the ban on plastics, noting that it is “a move in the wrong direction.”
“We support the environmental intent of plastic waste management, we however believe this can only be achieved through policies that are inclusive, evidence-based, and sustainably implemented.
“It is out of tune with the reality of our socio-economic situation, and is bereft of more ingenious and beneficial solutions. Quite importantly, the proposed ban is riddled with needless, potentially adverse economic and social impacts on the State and the Country.
“The decision is predicated on the unsubstantiated claim that plastics, and especially some single-use plastics (SUPs) are associated with adverse health and environmental impact and therefore need to be banned. The Ministry is yet to publish any study to substantiate this claim. On the contrary, plastic is indeed a versatile and highly durable material that is supporting mankind in various endeavors across industries. It is the failure of management of plastic waste that may result in adverse environmental and social impacts.”