The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria has raised the alarm that the planned ban on single-use plastics in Lagos State will wipe out the livelihoods of over 89 per cent of operators in the plastic value chain.
The Director-General of MAN, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, issued the warning in a statement on Monday, calling on the Lagos State Government to halt the ban and instead adopt more inclusive and evidence-based solutions.
Ajayi-Kadir said, “A recent MAN-supported study evaluating the possible impacts of the Lagos State SUPs ban revealed significant adverse economic, operational, and social implications across the value chain, from manufacturers to wholesalers, traders, and end users.
“Over 89 per cent of operators in the plastic value chain depend on the trade of these SUPs as their main source of income, with no alternative source of livelihood, thus indicating that there will be a potential loss of livelihoods on the part of these dealers and their staff.”
He added that 100 per cent of manufacturers consulted in the study expressed concern that the policy would trigger mass workforce restructuring.
The Lagos State Ministry of Environment plans to enforce the ban on certain single-use plastics from July 1, 2025. However, MAN argued that the policy lacked both credible data and broad stakeholder consultation.
According to the MAN’s evaluation report, 89 per cent of dealers rely solely on trading in banned plastic items for their livelihood, and 93 per cent of these businesses, mostly women-led, say they have received no information or support to cushion the impact of the ban.
Ajayi-Kadir lamented that the government ban is taking the easy way out, without sufficient data background. “The government’s decision was not informed by credible data. It is out of tune with the reality of our socio-economic situation, and is bereft of more ingenious and beneficial solutions,” he stressed.
He maintained that plastic itself is not the problem, but rather the mismanagement of plastic waste. “It is the failure of management of plastic waste that may result in adverse environmental and social impacts,” he argued.
MAN also noted that rather than introducing a duplicative Lagos State Plastic Waste Fund, the government should strengthen the Extended Producer Responsibility Programme already in place, citing over 40 MAN member companies already subscribed to the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance.
Ajayi-Kadir criticised the state’s approach as reactionary and lacking sustainability, stating, “The ban focuses on the easiest approach to address the issue of plastic pollution, rather than the most sustainable approach, which gives balanced attention to social, economic, and environmental considerations.”
The group called attention to the economic consequences of a rushed transition. “There are no affordable and commercially available alternatives to the use of these SUPs for the trading of food and other items,” MAN’s DG said, warning that product integrity may be compromised and that the cost burden would be passed on to consumers.
He added that recyclers also stand to suffer due to the resulting shortage of feedstock for their plants and that manufacturers may lose export earnings and face disruptions in supply to other states and West African countries.
Ajayi-Kadir urged the Lagos State Government to draw lessons from the National Plastic Action Roadmap and the draft National Plastic Waste Control Regulation, which were developed through participatory processes and align with circular economy goals. He called for a systemic, evidence-based and inclusive approach to plastic waste management, rather than an outright ban.