The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), the advocacy group for manufacturers in the country, has urged Lagos State to redirect its focus towards building an inclusive, data-backed, and economically viable waste management system rather than imposing a blanket ban that risks widespread job losses, especially among SMEs, informal waste workers, and women-led businesses.
The group, in a statement by its Director-General, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, cited the state’s frameworks and pilot programmes such as the smart-bins initiative and the Blue-box initiatives to address plastic waste.
The DG, who drew the attention of Lagos to the Ogun State Government’s proactive and sustainable approach to managing plastic waste, especially the single-use plastics in the state, noted that the initiatives reduce plastic waste, promote recycling, and ensure a cleaner environment.
“Sustainable solutions must be rooted in stakeholder engagement, scalable alternatives, and enabling infrastructure. The approach should not punish productivity but guide it towards circularity. MAN remains committed to supporting collaborative, inclusive environmental policies that protect both people and the planet”, noted Ajayi-Kadir, who stated the Association believes that effective waste management is crucial for public health, environmental protection, and economic development.
He said the Association looks forward to continued collaboration with the Ogun State Government to promote sustainable practices and address environmental challenges, noting that the Environment Ministry’s resolve to partner with manufacturers and other operators in the plastic value chain to advance its waste-to-wealth initiatives align with MAN’s commitment to environmental sustainability and responsible manufacturing practices.
“We are convinced that the plastic pollution crisis is primarily a result of poor waste management infrastructure and enforcement, and not the material itself”, he said, urging aspiration to achieve progressive waste management that leads to wealth and job creation, and not adopt simplistic waste management measures that drag industrialization and lead to needless impoverishment.
Ogun Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, presented the State’s approach in Abeokuta during this year’s commemoration of World Environment Day, themed: Beating Plastics.
Oresanya highlighted “plastics for cash” and “blue box” initiatives as subsets of their sustainable approach to managing waste and converting the same to wealth in the state. While the Plastics for Cash program enables residents to exchange sorted plastic waste for monetary value or goods, creating income opportunities for youth, women, and informal waste collectors, the Blue Box initiative promotes structured house-to-house waste separation and collection, driven by the Ogun State Waste Management Authority.
To strengthen these initiatives, Ogun State constituted a Plastic Management Committee comprising regulatory agencies, manufacturers, and academic institutions. This Committee is responsible for promoting the implementation of EPR guidelines as defined by the National framework to support plastic buy-back programmes and job creation along the recycling value chain. This is against the backdrop of recent developments in Lagos State with the disingenuous ban on the production and use of single-use plastics. Rather than a sudden and outright ban, progressive strategies that balance environmental sustainability with economic stability should be adopted.
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MAN cited Egypt, where collaborative efforts between the government and social enterprises such as Banlastic focus on education, community clean-ups, and recycling plastic waste. In Ghana, the government embraced plastic-to-construction innovation, with companies like Nelplast transforming waste into affordable building materials. Similarly, the United States is pursuing a national recycling plan and innovation challenge to improve plastic recovery, design, and energy efficiency.
Ajayi-Kadir, who said these models focus on circularity not prohibition, cautioned against the ban and called for a more sustainable and beneficial approach to managing waste, similar to the one adopted by Ogun State.
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