Nigeria’s plastic waste hits 1.25mt.
According to information released by the UN, Nigeria’s population is consuming more plastics, which has led to an increase in plastic waste.
The international group revealed this via the UN Industrial Development Organization.
It emphasised that over a 15-year period, Nigeria’s plastic consumption increased by 116.26 percent to 1.25 million tonnes.
This information was provided by Jean Bakole, the UNIDO country representative and regional director for West Africa, at the launch of the steering committee for the project titled “Promoting Sustainable Plastics Value Chains Through Circular Economy Practices.”
In his speech, which was made available to our correspondent in Abuja on Sunday, Bakole said, “As the most populated nation with the largest GDP (Gross Domestic Product) on the African continent, Nigeria’s plastic waste problem is on the increase.
“This is based on its increased consumption from 578,000 tonnes of plastics in 2007 to about 1,250,000 tonnes. Therefore, the per capita plastic consumption has grown by five per cent annually from 4kg to 6.5kg. It is estimated that each citizen would consume about 7.5kg of plastics per year.”
He pointed out that, over time, improper handling of plastic waste had polluted not only the terrestrial ecosystem but also the marine one, endangering biodiversity and having a negative effect on the blue economy.
According to the UN representative, improper handling of plastics and insufficient waste management are additional sources of GHG emissions.
The UN official said, “Mismanaged plastics and ineffective waste management is also a source of GHG (Greenhouse gas) emissions.
“According to the World Bank, plastic waste accounts for 12 per cent of the total amount of municipal solid wastes generated globally. However, only 14 per cent are collected for recycling while only nine per cent are recycled.”
The Federal Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with the appropriate stakeholders, took steps to address the plastic issue holistically by adopting the circular economy model in response to the issue in Nigeria, according to Mohammed Abdullahi, the environment minister who inaugurated the committee.
“In this wise, we have developed the national policies on solid waste and plastic waste management to promote environmental protection, resource and energy efficiency, circular economy practices and enhance the conservation of natural resources through sustainable production and consumption.”