The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to a cleaner healthier, and more resilient nation through the development of a National Policy on Plastic Waste Management
The Honourable Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, who made the disclosure at the 2025 World Environment Day Celebration in Abuja, stated that the policy provides a strategic framework for 3Rs reducing plastic, re-use and promoting recycling thereby encouraging innovation in alternatives to single-use plastics.
He noted that plastic pollution is a multifaceted crisis, affecting not only the environment but also the economy and public health.
According to him, “Every minute, plastic waste is being dumped into our oceans, rivers, and drainage systems, endangering wildlife and contributing to flooding in our urban centres.” This stark reality, he emphasized, necessitates immediate collective action to mitigate its impact on the society.
This year’s theme, “Ending Plastic Pollution,” he said, underscores the global urgency of the issue which Nigeria, alongside other nations, is grappling with.
Lawal who reiterated the present administration’s commitment, through its Renewed Hope Agenda, to tackling plastic pollution at all levels, announced the launch of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Programme, which requires producers to take responsibility for the entire lifecycle of their plastic products—from production to disposal.
He emphasized that the initiative aims to hold manufacturers accountable for the waste generated by their products, adding that to ensure effective implementation, the Ministry is collaborating with key stakeholders across government, industry, and civil society.
The Minister commended the Ministry’s development partners, particularly the ECOWAS Commission, for their steadfast support in environmental governance, climate change response, and sustainable development in West Africa.
While calling for individual and collective effort to combat plastic pollution, Lawal said, “Let us make conscious choices and become ambassadors of environmental stewardship,”
The Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mahmud Adam Kambari, in a welcome address stated that this year’s celebration serves as a clarion call to intensify efforts through effective policy implementation, public awareness campaigns, responsible consumption, and investments in sustainable alternatives.
“As a Ministry, we remain committed to:
advancing circular economy principles,
strengthening regulatory frameworks, and
promoting innovations that reduce our reliance on single-use plastic,” he said
“I urge everyone to reflect on what more we can do individually and collectively, to beat plastic pollution”, Kambari concluded.
In a goodwill message, UNICEF, Nigeria ChiefofWASH, Dr. Jane Bevan stated that the climate crisis is fundamentally a children and national challenge, noting that the youth, especially those in vulnerable communities face the harsh consequences of environmental degradation and pollution.
She commended the Ministry for engaging all stakeholders and prioritizing youth in climate action, and also requested its collaboration with UNICEF’s YOMA (Youth Agency Marketplace) digital platform to empower young people to take concrete climate actions.
Also speaking, the Head, OANDO Foundation, Tonia Udoimoh, acknowledged the need for systemic environmental literacy at the grassroots level in the fight against environmental degradation.
She added that through its flagship environmental education project, ‘Clean the World’, launched in 2021, the Organization is equipping Nigerian youth with the necessary climate-sensitive knowledge and skills to foster responsive behaviours beyond the classroom.
The highlights of the event was the recycling exhibition of plastic waste to wealth by the students of Community Secondary School, Asokoro, Gifted School, Gwagwalada, Junior Secondary School, Gwagwalada and Junior Secondary School, Unguwan Dodo.
The four participating Schools went home with trophies and cash awards.
Mr. Zakari, the Deputy Director, planning of the Ministry in his closing remark, thanked the donor partners and invited guests for supporting this year’s World Environmental Day and look forward to their participation in the future.
Signed
Ibrahim Haruna
Director (Information)
19th June 2025
