The Federal Government of Nigeria has published implementation guidelines for its National Policy on Plastic Waste Management (NPPWM), first adopted in 2020.
The document was prepared by research firm Eunomia and funded by the Government of Japan.
It focusses on three key areas: (1) improved collection of plastic waste and diversion from dumpsites and landfills; (2) improved recycling of plastic waste; and (3) elimination, reduction, and circulation of single-use plastics (SUPs).
The collection section puts forward guidelines for enhancing waste collection systems and reducing plastic waste sent to dumpsites and landfills. It includes recommendations for funding improved collection services and puts emphasis on transitioning from basic to more advanced waste disposal and recycling systems.
The recycling section describes steps to enhance plastic waste recycling infrastructure and market development. It considers potential funding and policy actions at state and local levels. Nigeria has set plastics recycling goals of 65% of municipal waste by 2030; 75% of packaging waste by 2030; and 50% of all plastic waste by 2030.
The SUPs section identifies the plastics targetted for phased elimination or reduction according to the NPPWM. The policy requires a phased ban on EPS food containers, beverage cups, straws, cotton bud sticks, balloons and balloon sticks, packets and wrappers, beverage bottles, sachet water packaging, tobacco product filters, lightweight plastic carrier bags, lightweight plastic wrappers, and fishing gear. It specifies that SUP carrier bags below 30 micrometers wall thickness and EPS food and beverage containers should be effectively phased out by December 2028.
The Eunomia report notes that the NPPWM does not specify to whom such bans should apply, i.e. whether it's a ban on the sale of items/ consumer purchases, or whether it applies across the value chain including bans on the manufacture, production, import and distribution of such items as well.
The research firm recommended that states seek further clarification from the Federal Ministry of Environment regarding the scope of the ban, regarding to whom it applies and specifying exactly which types of SUP items are included in the ban.
The section also discusses consumer-facing charges, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), Deposit Refund Systems (DRS), awareness campaigns, and Green Public Procurement (GPP), as well as risks and implementation challenges associated with these measures.
The guidelines also outline the roles of state and local governments, discuss alternative materials, and provide case studies on waste management strategies. It emphasises that monitoring, data collection, and enforcement mechanisms are required to ensure compliance with national plastic waste reduction targets.
Nigeria ranked ninth out of 192 countries in 2010 for mismanaged plastic waste entering marine environments, accounting for approximately 3% of global mismanaged plastic waste.
Nigeria is the only virgin plastic resin producer in the coastal areas of West Africa, according to a WACA programme report commissioned by the World Bank. The country is also Africa’s largest oil producer, with the oil and gas sector accounting for about 10% of GDP. Nigeria produced 498 kilo tonnes of virgin plastic resin in 2019 (322 kt PE, 101 kt PP, 75 kt PET).
Nigeria’s plastic consumption outstrips its production, however, with the country currently meeting almost two-thirds of demand for virgin resins through imports, according to World Bank data.
Less than 12% of plastic waste is recycled in Nigeria, according to the WACA report. The country has eight finished plastic waste recycling plants, with 18 others at various stages of completion. The remaining plastic waste goes to landfills and dumpsites.