Follow Us on Google
From Idu Jude, Abuja
The Director General of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Prof. Innocent Barikor, says the Extended Producer Responsibility Programme (EPR) makes it mandatory for producers to design products and packaging that can be recycled or reused in line with the circular economy.
Prof. Barikor made the disclosure on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, while fielding answers on NESREA Half Hour, an environmental programme by NESREA in collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Corps radio programme.
Represented by the Assistant Director Plastic, Engr. Chukwudi Nwabuisiaku, Prof. Barikor described the circular economy as an economic system where products and packaging are designed to last, and their packaging at the post-consumer stage or end-of-life is managed in a manner that such products can be recycled, reused, upgraded, repurposed, or upcycled.
Other News
He said, “If you are producing anything, think of the end-of-life of that product, its take-back, and what else it can be used for. Therefore, the responsibility of the producer is extended to the post-consumer stage or end-of-life.”
Prof. Barikor also stated that all producers are mandated to register with the relevant Producer Responsibility Organisation of their product’s sector, adding that there are existing PROs in the country for the Food & Beverage, Battery, Electrical and Electronics, and Tyre sectors where the programme has already kicked off.
He said the agency was also partnering with a Fintech company to strengthen the implementation framework for the formalisation of the downstream operators of the value chain and ensuring that waste pickers and collectors are properly trained and incentivised by the Producer Responsibility Organisations.
