The Lagos State Government has announced that it will fully implement its prohibition on single-use plastics from July 1.
This development was made known by the state’s Commissioner for the Environment, Tokunbo Wahab, via a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday.
According to Wahab, the enforcement follows 18 months dedicated to consultations, public engagement, and a gradual transition phase.
During this time, authorities held numerous meetings with stakeholders, including producers and sellers of disposable plastic products.
Back in January 2024, Lagos had already taken the bold step of banning Styrofoam products—a move that stirred mixed reactions, especially among traders dependent on such items for packaging.
Wahab stressed that Lagos cannot afford to maintain standards that are being phased out globally.
“We’ve given enough time for adaptation. What is banned elsewhere must not be acceptable here,” he said during a recent meeting with the leadership of TETRA PAK West Africa.
He added that the state’s decision is rooted in environmental sustainability and that, just like the successful Styrofoam ban, the government will ensure strict compliance through accountability and enforcement.
Notably, in September 2024, the Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), in partnership with the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), destroyed Styrofoam materials worth ₦5 million in a crackdown across several parts of the state, including Epe.
Major Olaniyi Olatunbosun Cole (rtd), head of LAGESC, reaffirmed the state’s unwavering position on the matter, saying there will be no reversal of the policy.
Meanwhile, on a national level, the Federal Government in June 2024 also banned single-use plastics in all ministries and agencies.
Minister of State for Environment, Iziaq Salako, made this known after a Federal Executive Council meeting led by President Bola Tinubu.
Salako noted that the National Plastic Waste Policy, launched in 2020, sets January 2025 as the deadline for phasing out many categories of disposable plastics nationwide.
He emphasised that the policy is crucial to combating climate change, environmental degradation, and plastic pollution across Nigeria.
