From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The French government has announced a donation of €850,000 to assist Nigeria address plastic pollution through recycling.
Beyond the funding, the French government said it would help Nigerian universities with recycling plastic and micro plants.
The Deputy French Ambassador to Nigeria, Jean-François Hasperue, stated this at a plastic waste awareness programme yesterday in Abuja.
“We have a fund of 750,000, 100,000 euros now, which is about helping universities in recycling plastic. So within this project, we have two micro plants that will be given to Nile University and UNILAG to recycle plastic within the universities. We are also funding a project in five different universities,” he said.
He said he would love Nigeria and the global community to mobilise resources, policies, and collaboration to protect the oceans from the dangers of plastic waste.
Hasperue said the call was necessary because plastic waste had become one of the most pressing environmental crises facing the globe, with oceans bearing the brunt of the escalating threat.
The envoy explained that from floating debris to microplastics embedded in marine organisms, the evidence of damage on the oceans has been overwhelming.
“Our panellists were explaining that the microplastics that are eaten by fish in the lagoon of Lagos might be eaten by people in Asia because fish have been taken by foreign boats and sold everywhere in the world.
“So yes, it is a global issue that we need to address. And there is one specific issue, of course, we decided to address within the UN conference in Nice, is the one of biodiversity beyond national jurisdictions.
“Because it has been for too many years, a gap in which we have not been able to raise cooperation among countries to save these biggest parts of the oceans. And I expect that we will announce that we have reached the 60 signatories for ratification by the end of this week. So the BBNG will be able to be implemented starting the 1st of January 2026.
“We are part of a global strategy of France, because of course we would like to act at different level.
“We act first globally, and that’s why we decided to welcome the UN Conference on Ocean, which is actually happening in Nice from the June 9th to the 13th this very week.
“And that’s why in the wake of this global conference, we wanted here in Nigeria and in Abuja to organise at our level a debate, but not only a debate here, but activities all over the month of June.
“And we had not less than 11 activities happening in six different states in Nigeria, first of all to raise awareness in Nigeria, but also to rally support for empowering global local communities.”
Similarly, the Attaché for Scientific and Higher Education Cooperation at the French Embassy, Sebastien Bede, pointed out that the French government has been cooperating with Nigerian partners to develop projects and implement solutions to plastic waste.
“So, we have this project we call the French Embassy Fund to actually develop and implement solutions to tackle plastic pollution in Nigerian university campuses. And the idea is threefold.
“First, as previously the Deputy Ambassador said, to equip two universities here in Nigeria, UNILAG, Nile University in Abuja, with micro plants to recycle plastic.
“This comes with capacity building, with Plastic Odyssey, to train the staff and develop integrated solutions, which goes from collecting the plastic on the campus, sort it out, clean it, grind it, and then the final product.
“So we have the input and the output. So there’s been a collective reflection on what is the need here in Nigeria on the campuses.”
About 17 Nigerian university students were awarded for their efforts in turning plastic waste to viable economic ventures.