The Lagos State Government announced on Thursday its plan to ban the circulation of single-use plastics and sachet water starting January 2025.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, confirmed the upcoming ban during a stakeholders’ workshop on implementing the ban on Styrofoam and single-use plastics (SUPs) for packaging.
The move is part of the government’s strategy to introduce policy guidelines for managing plastic waste, which the goal is to create a healthier and more sustainable environment.
However, stakeholders have urged the government to consider a phased implementation rather than an outright ban. They believe this will ensure better compliance and ease the burden during current economic challenges.
Mosaku Ololade, Chairperson of the Lagos chapter of the Association for Table Water Producers of Nigeria (ATWAP), emphasised the association’s willingness to cooperate with the government. “We’ve been engaging with the state government and educating our members on the planned ban,” Ololade said.
She added that ATWAP has over 2,000 members in Lagos employing more than 10,000 workers and called on the government to phase in the ban to give businesses enough time to adapt. “There are many measures that need to be in place before full enforcement,” she noted.
Recall that Lagos State had earlier banned the use of Styrofoam in government establishments and across the metropolis in January 2024. This decision followed the rising issue of plastic waste and its harmful effects on the environment.
