Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — As part of activities marking the 2025 World Environment Day, the Media Awareness and Justice Initiative, MAJI, has urged the Federal Government to urgently ban the production, use, and disposal of single-use plastics in Nigeria, warning that continued inaction is not only degrading the environment but also deterring foreign and domestic investment in the country’s green economy.
Speaking at a press briefing in Port Harcourt with the theme “Beat Plastic Pollution,” Executive Director of MAJI, Mr. Okoro Emmanuel Onyekachi, warned that Nigeria is on the brink of an environmental disaster, fueled by unchecked plastic use and disposal.
According to him, Nigeria’s lack of a clear legal framework on plastics is stalling the development of a viable circular economy, particularly in the oil-rich Niger Delta, where waste management infrastructure is weak and marine ecosystems are under threat.
“We are calling on the Federal Government to immediately declare indiscriminate plastic dumping illegal. Plastic waste is not just a nuisance, it’s a national threat.”
Okoro urged the establishment of structured plastic collection and recycling centers in all 774 local government areas and stressed that the private sector must be incentivized to participate actively in waste management.
“There has to be a collaborative approach and synergy among key stakeholders. We must localize our solutions, using indigenous languages to sensitize both rural and urban communities.”
He also called for stronger legislation from the National Assembly, including a ban on single-use plastics and tighter controls on plastic importation.
Backing the call, Ikechukwu Ahaka, MAJI’s Project Officer, warned that over 12 million tons of plastic are dumped into oceans each year, an alarming trend that threatens marine ecosystems and human health.
“A single plastic item can take over 450 years to decompose. The UN Secretary-General warned in 2024 that ‘we are choking on plastic.’ That’s not hyperbole, it’s a crisis. We now eat plastic through our food; studies say we ingest the equivalent of 50 plastic bags a year.”
Ahaka cited UN forecasts predicting more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050 and identified Nigeria as the 9th worst offender in ocean plastic pollution.
“Our coastal ecosystems like the Niger Delta are drowning in plastic. Aquatic animals are dying. Livelihoods are collapsing. Biodiversity is under siege,” he stated.
MAJI also criticized the government’s lack of enforcement capacity, stating, “There’s no political will, no manpower, no effective technology or strategy to tackle plastic waste at scale.”
The group urged all Nigerians, governments, businesses, and citizens alike, to take collective and immediate action to reverse the tide.
“This is no longer just an environmental issue, it’s a matter of public health, food safety, and national survival,” MAJI concluded.
