Category: Business News

MAN Calls for Suspension of Proposed Ban on Single-Use Plastics Below 80 Microns

By Omolola Dede Adeyanju

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has called on the Federal Government and the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) to suspend the proposed ban on single-use plastics below 80 microns until a comprehensive Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) is conducted.

In a statement signed by the Director-General of MAN, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, the Association warned that the proposed National Environmental (Plastic Waste Control) Regulations 2026 could significantly disrupt industrial production, threaten thousands of jobs, increase manufacturing costs, and place additional financial burdens on consumers and small businesses across the country.

While reaffirming its commitment to environmental sustainability and effective waste management, MAN argued that the proposed regulation is premature and lacks sufficient empirical evidence to justify its implementation.

The Association noted that the Federal Government had already introduced the Plastic Circularity Roadmap in 2024 through the National Plastic Action Partnership (NNPAP). According to MAN, the roadmap recommends sustainable solutions such as improved recycling infrastructure, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), efficient waste collection systems, and increased public awareness campaigns—many of which are yet to be fully implemented.

MAN also questioned the effectiveness of previous restrictions on plastic products, stating that there is no publicly available evidence demonstrating their impact on reducing pollution, improving recycling rates, or changing consumer behavior.

Drawing from international experiences, the Association cited countries including Kenya, Bangladesh, South Africa, and India, where outright plastic bans reportedly resulted in factory closures, job losses, and greater dependence on imports without delivering long-term environmental benefits.

Conversely, MAN highlighted that countries such as Germany, South Korea, and the Netherlands have recorded greater success in tackling plastic waste through robust recycling systems and Extended Producer Responsibility frameworks rather than blanket bans.

According to the Association, Nigeria's plastic manufacturing industry supports hundreds of businesses and provides employment for thousands of Nigerians across sectors including packaging, food processing, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, logistics, and recycling.

MAN warned that enforcing an 80-micron threshold would render existing industrial investments obsolete, increase production costs, and further worsen inflationary pressures on consumers.

The Association maintained that plastic pollution is fundamentally a waste management challenge rather than a production issue. It emphasized that sustainable environmental outcomes can be achieved through improved waste collection, sorting, recycling, and disposal systems instead of outright prohibitions.

Consequently, MAN urged the Federal Government to:

• Conduct an independent Regulatory Impact Assessment covering the environmental, economic, social, and employment implications of the proposed regulation.
• Fully implement the 2024 Plastic Circularity Roadmap.
• Strengthen national recycling infrastructure.
• Establish a multi-stakeholder working group to develop practical, evidence-based solutions for plastic waste management.

The Association reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with government agencies and other stakeholders to promote environmentally sustainable policies that also safeguard industrial growth, employment, investment, and Nigeria's overall economic competitiveness.