Lagos state government has said it will commence enforcement of ban on single-use plastics (SUPs) in January 2025.
Gatekeepers News reports that SUPs are plastic products that are discarded after being used once. They include straws, plastic cutlery, food packaging like takeaway, and so on.
Tokunbo Wahab, commissioner for environment and water resources announced this while speaking during an inspection of flood-prone areas on Lagos Island on Monday.
Lagos had on January 21, 2024, banned the use and distribution of styrofoam and other SUPs to reduce environmental pollution across the state.
Tokunbo noted that there has been a reduction in styrofoam litter in the state, adding that plans were underway to ensure a smooth phase-out of SUPs in the state.
He said, “There is no going back on a total ban of SUPs. We are currently having conversations in respect of how to phase them off. The enforcement will take effect before the end of January.”
“Littering, especially with Styrofoam, has reduced compared to when enforcement of its ban initially started.”
The commissioner who also inspected the Ilubirin pump station, expressed displeasure with the condition of the project noting that “bad human behaviour has clogged up the system.”
Tokunbo said that the tour was essentially to review the state of the projects and determine if the state would continue with them.
He said, “In fairness to the government, we saw the level of degradation. There was infrastructure built by Julius Berger under a government contract, properly done with a road network, functional drainage, and walkways.”
“This tour became necessary to ensure the contractors are ready to commence and to see if the contract period can be abridged.”
