NCF, NESREA, NPAP strengthen policy collaboration to address Nigeria’s plastic pollution crisis

The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), and the Nigeria Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP) have renewed their commitment to deepening policy collaboration as part of efforts to confront Nigeria’s mounting plastic pollution crisis.

This strengthened partnership was emphasised on Wednesday in Abuja during the Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on Inclusive Plastic Action in Nigeria and the National Validation Workshop for the Assessment Report on the Impact of Plastic Pollution on Biodiversity.

The event was organized by the NCF in collaboration with NPAP and the Federal Ministry of Environment.

Joseph Onoja, NCF Director General, highlighted the growing risks that plastic waste poses to Nigeria’s terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, as well as its implications for public health.

He noted that microplastics generated during recycling processes are increasingly found in aquatic species such as fish, which eventually enter human food chains.

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He stressed the urgency of collective action to eliminate plastic pollution and protect citizens from the dangers of consuming contaminated aquatic foods.

According to Onoja, a biodiversity impact assessment conducted across six states exposed alarming levels of microplastic contamination in aquatic food sources.

He explained that the workshop aimed to validate the findings of this assessment, address existing policy gaps, and explore opportunities to integrate plastics–biodiversity linkages into national planning frameworks, including the NPAP and Biodiversity Financing mechanisms.

Onoja added that the dialogue also sought to address inclusion challenges facing informal waste workers particularly women, young people, and persons with disabilities while strengthening partnerships across sectors to co-design practical, context-specific solutions.

Innocent Barikor, NESREA Director General/CEO, in his goodwill message, underscored the importance of collaboration across government, civil society, industry, and communities to effectively tackle the fast-growing plastic pollution challenge in the country.

Barikor commended NCF and NPAP for convening the dialogue and described plastic pollution as a developmental, biodiversity, and public health threat requiring urgent coordinated action. He reaffirmed NESREA’s commitment to enforcing environmental laws, including the NESREA Act (2007, amended 2018), the National Environmental (Food, Beverage and Tobacco Sector) Regulations, 2023, and the National Environmental (Coastal and Marine Area Protection) Regulations, 2011.

These regulatory frameworks, he noted, are essential for reducing the flow of single-use plastics and other debris into Nigeria’s coastal and marine ecosystems, which are increasingly burdened by plastic waste and abandoned fishing gear.

Barikor also pointed to NESREA’s ongoing initiatives including the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programme, strengthened collaboration with Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs), and efforts to integrate waste pickers into the national waste value chain—as part of its commitment to promoting sustainable waste management practices.

“Our solutions must not only protect the environment but also empower people,” he said, reaffirming the agency’s dedication to inclusive environmental stewardship.

He added that the validated assessment report would provide critical evidence for shaping national policy responses and emphasized NESREA’s readiness to translate its recommendations into regulations, public awareness initiatives, compliance monitoring, and stronger enforcement.

Barikor urged stakeholders to act swiftly and decisively on the workshop’s resolutions “for the benefit of people, nature, and future generations.”

Also speaking at the event, Maliyu Auwal, Director of Communication and Strategic Partnership at the Waste Pickers Association of Nigeria (WAPAN), called for the development of policies that formally integrate waste pickers into the national waste management architecture.

He noted that such inclusion would significantly improve their welfare, mobility, access to health insurance, and provide cooperative structures such as micro-insurance schemes.

The workshop attracted a diverse group of participants, including Commissioners from Kano, Anambra, and Bayelsa States; representatives from the Federal Ministry of Environment; the National Council on Climate Change; NESREA; civil society groups from eight states; and community representatives, among other stakeholders.

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