This document discusses plastic pollution in Nigeria, challenges, opportunities, and the way forward. It provides background on plastic waste generation and management in Nigeria. Plastics have benefits but also cause environmental and health risks when not properly disposed of. The status of plastic waste management is outlined, highlighting opportunities in the plastic waste value chain and circular economy. Proposed strategies are presented for achieving zero plastics in Nigeria, including developing collection systems, recycling capacity, and partnerships. The way forward emphasizes community engagement and citizen responsibility to #beatplasticpollution through various individual and collective actions.

1. PLASTIC POLLUTION IN
NIGERIA: CHALLENGES,
OPPORTUNITIES AND WAY
FORWARD
By
Yusuf Abdullahi Rigasa PhD
NATIONAL OIL SPILL DETECTION AND
RESPONSE AGENCY
World Environment Day 2018
Abuja Nigeria

2. Outline
• Background
• Waste Management in Nigeria
• Plastic Wastes, Sources and
Disposal
• Plastic Waste Induced Health and
Environmental Risks
• Waste Management Behavior and
Environmental Responsibility in
Nigeria
• Status of Plastic Waste Management
• Opportunities in Plastic Waste
Management
• Proposed Strategies for Zero
Plastics in Nigeria
• Way Forward: #beatplasticpollution

3. WHY PLASTICS? PLUS!
 Good heat and electrical
insulators
 Not expose to corrosion and
decay
 Cheap and disposable
 Resistant to chemicals,
water, grease
 Can easily be molded by
heat
 Useful in diverse industrial
and domestic applications
 Ease of modification/ mixing
with other materials

4. WHY PLASTICS?
Minus!
 Chemical Contamination of
foods, air others – dioxins,
bisphenols, phthalates
 Persistence due to non-
degradation
 Marine/ Litter and urban
decay
 Water pollution
 Air pollution
 Land degradation
 Animal poisoning through
ingestion or entanglement

5. Background
• Nigeria generate over 32 million tons of solid waste annually of which > 30% are
Plastics
• Plastics are organic polymers that can be easily molded by heat
• They could be Natural or synthetic
• Natural plastics are costly and relatively biodegradable
• Synthetic plastics are cheap and non biodegradable
• Plastics are mostly use in packaging, household items among others
• Nigeria has no National vision on solid waste management
• Government actions are limited to Grab and Dump refuse evacuation regimes (No
segregation of plastics)
• There is a thriving and proactive informal activities in the plastic waste value chain
(recovery; aggregation; recycling)
• Civil societies are the major drivers of the National effort to #beatplasticpollution
• Community engagement, citizens participation and investments are minimal
• A sustainable plastic waste value chain can generate revenue, create jobs and safe
guard environment assets

7. Types of Plastics
Natural Plastics
• Animal Horn – Casein
(Glue)
• Animal Milk –
Formaldehyde (Glue)
• Insects Shellac – French
polish
• Plants – Bitumen (roads,
flat roofs)
• Plants – Cellulose (Table
Tennis)
• Trees – Latex (Rubber,
tires)
Synthetic Plastics
• PETE- Polyethylene
Terephthalate
• HDPE – High Density
Polyethylene
• PVC – Poly Vinyl Chloride
• LDPE – Low Density
Polyethylene
• PP – Poly Propylene
• PS – Polystyrene
• Composites

13. Waste Management in
Nigeria: The realities
• Waste Management is constitutionally the
mandates of Local councils
• Most states have taken over SWM mandates from
councils;
• Solid wastes are Generated, collected, treated
and disposed formally and informally
• Residential, business and hazardous wastes are
disposed in open dumps
• Thriving informal resource recovery/ recycling
opportunities (e.g. metals)
• There is no National Policy/ Guideline on SWM;
• No National/ Sub-National Strategy for Recycling/
Resource recovery;
• Weak framework/ Institutions for Environmental
governance including waste management;
• Poor funding and lack of cost recovery strategy
• Lack of locally driven Research and Development
in SWM

14. Plastic Wastes In
Nigeria: Sources,
Recovery and Disposal
SOURCES
• Family households
• Residential neighborhoods
• Businesses/ markets
• Institutions
• Industries
• Every body
RECOVERY
• No formal guidance/ strategy on
recovery
• Limited Informal Recovery Systems
DISPOSAL
• Burial
• Burning
• Limited recycling

15. Plastic Waste Induced
Environmental and Health Risks
ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS
 Litter and urban decay
 Soil pollution
 Air pollution
 Water pollution
 Persistence
 Disrupt food chains
 Crowding of landfills/ waste dumps
HEALTH RISKS
 Chemical Toxicity (biphenol) and diseases
 Allergies
 Cancers (Benzene and Vinyl Chloride)
 Infertility/ sterility

16. Waste Management Behavior
and Environmental
Responsibility in Nigeria
 SWM limited to grab and Dump
 Limited segregation and recycling
 Poor financing
 No National Vision on SWM (Outdated
statutes, weak institutions and poor
Enforcement)
 Appropriate SWM behavior not clearly
defined
 SWM responsibilities rarely structured
 Lack of useable data
 No standards for SWM infrastructure
 Informal sectors not recognized
 No guidance on SWM tools and Equipment

17. Status of Plastic Waste Management
• Plastic waste is generated by all
Nigerians (7.5kg per capita)
• No national/ sub-National vision on
#beatplasticpollution
• Limited recovery, aggregation and
recycling of plastics by informal and
private sectors
• Informal sector is dominated by the
deprived and Especially Almajiri and
Widows in the North
• NGOs/ CBOs active in community
Engagement
• Citizens and communal SWM behavior
and responsibilities not structured and
defined
• Opportunities abound in the plastic
waste value chain and circular economy

18. Opportunities in Plastic
Waste Management
The Value chain in a
circular economy
• Collection/ Separation
• Recovery/ aggregation
• Recycling/ upcycling
• Manufacturing
• Consumption by end
user

19. Proposed Strategies for
Zero Plastics in Nigeria
• National Vision and Strategy on Zero Plastics
• Development of appropriate collection systems
• Markets (collection; recovery; aggregation)
• Recycling capacity;
• Consumer capacity;
• Monitoring and Evaluation of Environmental
Assets
(water; air; soil, biodiversity)
• Cleanup/ recovery
• Partnerships
• Plastic ban

21. Way Forward #beatplasticpollution
• Say no to Plastics
• Stop buying water/ drinks packaged in plastics
sachets or bottles
• Boycott microbeads items (toothpastes, body
wash)
• Cook more to avoid takeaways
• Purchase items secondhand to avoid plastic
packaging like Styrofoam
• Recycle all used plastics
• Support a bag tax or plastic ban
• Buy in bulk to minimize plastic wraps
• Adopt re-useable bags for shopping
• Know your environmental responsibility and
Educate others
• Community engagement on #beatplasticpollution
• Pressure governments and plastic manufacturers
on best practice

23. #youcansaynotoplastics
support the PLASTIC BAN PROHIBITION BILL 2018
Get Involved

24. Together we can build a cleaner, plastic free world

25. Thanks for your
Attention