•Says it oppresses most vulnerable Nigerians

The federal government has said environmental degradation was not in tandem with the spirit of Nigeria’s national anthem as it oppressed the most vulnerable Nigerians.

Speaking at the Circular and POPS-free Plastics in Africa Project Inception Workshop in Abuja, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, said, “As we reflect on the words of our national anthem, ‘Help us to build a nation where no man is oppressed’, we must recognise that environmental degradation is indeed a form of oppression.

“It disproportionately affects the most vulnerable groups in our midst and limits opportunities for future generations. This project represents our collective determination to break free from this oppression and build a Nigeria where both people and nature can thrive.”

Lawal, while declaring the workshop opened, said, “I wish to express my profound appreciation to all critical partners,who have made this initiative possible, namely: the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for financial support; UN Environment, the Implementing Agency, for providing technical support; and BCCC-Africa, for its resourcefulness in providing guidance for the project implementation.

“To NESREA, the performing environmental police in Nigeria – your commitment to environmental protection and your role as the National Executing Partner is deeply appreciated.”

He noted that Nigeria, as one of the five beneficiary-nations in Africa, has an ample opportunity to, among others: reduce the import, production and use of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in plastics-containing products in the automobile, construction and electronics sectors) and the generation of unintentionally-produced POPs (UPOPs).

This he said was with their attendant burdens of pollution and morbidity in the environment, identify safe, eco-friendly and effective alternatives to POPs – containing plastics as well as suitable technologies to manage POPs-contaminated waste in an environmentally sound manner; and adopt and enforce upstream policies and financial instruments, to implement circular economy practices and eliminate or replace problematic products with more sustainable alternatives.

He said the cross-cutting dimension of POPs Management and plastic pollution, including the magnitude of associated challenges called for collective responsibility among all sectoral stakeholders.

“It is, therefore, heartwarming to note an equitable representation of high-level policy makers, the dedicated presence of ‘Basel Centre’, the Industry, Academia, Civil Society Organisations, and our Development Partners, whose expertise, vast wealth of experience and solemn commitment wil be brought to bear in actuating successful delivery of the project.”

He decried that while plastics have brought undeniable benefits to modern life, in the absence of an effective waste management strategy and circular economy system, more than three-quarters of scrap plastics get discarded and dispersed in open dumps, burnt, clog the drainage system and ultimately discharged into the marine environment as microplastics.

The Director General/CEO, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Prof. Innocent Barikor, said, “Today, we gather as partners, stakeholders, and custodians of our environment to embark on a transformative journey that will shape Nigeria’s environmental future for generations to come.”