The Lagos State Government has said it will begin full enforcement of its ban on single-use plastics on July 1, marking a major step in its push for a cleaner environment.
Commissioner for the Environment, Tokunbo Wahab, made the announcement on Monday, May 19, through a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter).
He explained that the state has spent the last 18 months preparing for this phase, holding meetings with stakeholders including producers and marketers of single-use plastics.
“This is about environmental responsibility,” Wahab said. “And we have given an ample time to align with global best practices.
“What is unacceptable elsewhere cannot become standard in Lagos. We must protect our future and do what is right for the greater good.”
He added, “We’re not here to score points. We’re here to do the work. Just like with the successful enforcement of the styrofoam ban, we will insist on accountability and responsibility. A cleaner, healthier Lagos is within reach if we all play our part.”
The planned crackdown builds on the state’s earlier ban on Styrofoam products, which was announced in January 2024. That move was met with pushback from traders who rely on the product for packaging, but the state stood firm.
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In September 2024, the Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), also known as KAI, in collaboration with the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), destroyed ₦5 million worth of confiscated Styrofoam packs. The incineration took place in Epe.
During the exercise, LAGESC Corps Marshal, Major Olaniyi Olatunbosun Cole (rtd), stressed that the state had declared “zero tolerance” for the use, sale and distribution of Styrofoam, saying, “There is no going back on that.”
The Lagos initiative aligns with a federal directive issued earlier in June 2024. The Minister of State for Environment, Iziaq Salako, announced a ban on single-use plastics across all federal government offices after a Federal Executive Council meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu.
Salako explained that the policy is rooted in Nigeria’s 2020 National Policy on Plastic Waste Management, which outlines a phased ban on certain plastic types by January 2025.
According to him, plastic waste contributes to blocked drainage, urban flooding, marine pollution, and serious health risks.
The minister said the federal government is committed to tackling climate change, biodiversity loss, and plastic pollution, adding urgency to both federal and state-level actions.
With both Lagos and the federal government aligned, the message is clear: the era of single-use plastics is coming to an end in Nigeria.