President Abbas warns against hasty plastic ban, says transition must protect jobs

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has warned against a hasty ban on single-use plastic products in a bid to tackle plastic pollution.

He also warned that a poorly planned ban on single-use plastics could undermine livelihoods and destabilize industries that rely heavily on plastic materials.

Abbas made the warning in Abuja while declaring open a public hearing organized by the Ad Hoc Committee on Preparation for a Single-Use Plastic Ban in Nigeria on Friday.

“Our nation faces a grave threat from plastic waste that chokes our drainage systems, degrades soil quality, threatens marine life in the Niger Delta and Atlantic Coast, and ultimately infiltrates our food chain,” he said.

Previously, the chair of the ad hoc committee, Terseer Ugbor, said that the committee aimed to develop a comprehensive legislative framework that “balances environmental protection with the economic implications of phasing out plastic”.

“We’re not here to argue about whether we should abandon the plastic problem,” he said.