*Calls for immediate action
Vincent Toritseju
Lagos — THE Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, yesterday decried the alarming rate at which the seas and oceans in Nigeria are currently being littered with wastes, and has called for immediate action to stop the trend.
Speaking at the launch of the Maritime Action Plan on Marine Litter and Plastic management in Nigeria, NIMASA’s Director General, Dr. Dakuku Peterside said that Nigeria is currently leading the continent in the volume marine waste generated and mismanaged.
According to Peterside, a recent report in September 2019 by the Voice of America, VOA, also shows that Nigeria generates an estimated 32 million tons of solid waste per year, one of the highest amounts in Africa.
Of that figure, Peterside said plastic constitutes 2.5 million tons a development that poses a great danger to the environment and particularly our marine ecosystem.
He said: “This 2-fold event which aims to raise awareness for Marine Litter and Plastic Management, and the Public Presentation of the Maritime Action Plan on Marine Litter and Plastic Management.
“The issue of Marine Litter and Plastics in the Seas and Oceans has remained a global concern, particularly, following the increased awareness about blue economy and its derivable benefits.
“The challenges of Marine Litter and Plastic pollution are multiple, and include threat to food security, threat to economic activities, navigational hazard, water safety, threat to ecosystem, harmful effects on marine life and bio-diversity among others.
“It is known fact that our oceans and seas sustain lives but when the threats to ocean health are numerous, it also affects human beings.
“A report by the World Economic Forum projects that by the year 2050, plastics in the oceans
will outweigh fish if mitigated.
“It is well known that of 260 million tons of plastic produced in the world each year, about 10%
ends up in the ocean and 70% of the mass eventually sinks, damaging life on the seabed.
“The International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) in a study says, 83% of the 4.8–12.7 million tons of land-based plastic waste that ends up in the ocean from the 192 coastal countries originates from 20 countries including Nigeria.
“A study by Africa Impact Sustainable Initiative also reports that approximately 500 shipping containers of waste is dumped in Africa every month.
In 2010, annual mismanaged plastic waste for the continent was put about 4.8 million tonnes and
could reach 11.5 million tonnes in 2025.
“These occurrences are not only evident globally or continentally, but also in Nigeria, which is among top 20 nations that contribute 83% of total volume of land based plastic waste that end up in the oceans/seas. It is estimated that over 200,000 metric tonnes of plastic waste from
land-based sources in Nigeria, is discharged into the Atlantic Ocean each year.
