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Urges stakeholders to join forces to tackle menace
From Abel Leonard, Lafia
In commemoration of World Environment Day 2025, the Nasarawa State Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Hon. Princess Margaret Elayo, has called on all residents, traditional rulers, civil society, and private sector stakeholders to join forces with the government to tackle the growing menace of plastic pollution in the state.
Speaking during a press briefing held on Thursday, June 5, 2025, at the ministry’s conference room in Lafia, Hon. Elayo said the state government is committed to implementing strong policies, enforcing environmental laws, and supporting innovative solutions to reduce plastic waste across the state.
“This year’s theme, End Plastic Pollution, is not only timely but urgent,” Elayo said. “Plastic pollution is one of the major environmental challenges of our time. If current trends continue, by 2050, there could be more plastic than fish in our oceans.”
The commissioner decried the rate at which plastic waste is littering major towns in the state, saying: “From Lafia to Karu, Keffi to Toto, our streets and drainages are clogged with plastic waste. This compromises public health, sanitation, and even agricultural productivity.”
She revealed that the ministry has already commenced stakeholder engagements with government agencies, NGOs, private waste collectors, and market leaders to scale up community-based recycling programmes. She also disclosed that the ministry is considering placing phased restrictions on single-use plastics in government offices and public events.
“As a government, we are rising to meet these challenges with a renewed commitment,” she stated. “We’re partnering with NGOs to roll out a plastic waste-for-cash exchange programme aimed at empowering youths and women, giving them meaningful engagement while protecting the environment.”
Elayo further stressed the importance of public education, revealing plans to expand environmental clubs in secondary schools and launch clean-up campaigns in urban and semi-urban areas.
“It is no longer enough to simply recognise the problem. The time to act is now. Enough of the grammar; action must take its place,” she charged.
While appreciating stakeholders for their roles in environmental protection, Elayo commended Governor Abdullahi A. Sule for his leadership in supporting sustainability initiatives across the state.
“We owe it to ourselves and to the generations unborn to build a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable Nasarawa State,” she said.
The commissioner further urged citizens to embrace reusable alternatives and hold one another accountable for the environment.
“Let’s end plastic pollution and restore dignity to our dear Home of Solid Minerals,” she appealed.