FG validates policy to tackle marine litter

The Federal Ministry of Environment on Monday convened key stakeholders in Abuja to validate a landmark policy brief aimed at tackling marine litter and advancing Nigeria’s transition to a circular economy.

Mrs Falmata Bukar-Kolo, Deputy Director of the Solid Waste Management and Technology Division in the ministry, warned that plastic pollution poses serious risks to aquatic ecosystems and public health.

She stated that microplastics have already entered the food chain through fish consumption, while clogged waterways, soil contamination and greenhouse gas emissions from burning plastics are worsening the environmental crisis.

Bukar-Kolo said that plastics, though widely used, are non-biodegradable and persist in the environment for years.

She called for improved waste management systems, stronger enforcement of environmental regulations and behavioural change among citizens and businesses.

Mr Clem Ugorji, Regional Coordinator of PROTEGO, emphasised the urgency of action, saying Nigeria’s marine litter crisis carries environmental, economic and reputational costs.

He expressed optimism that the 2025–2040 roadmap endorsed at the workshop would shift the country from prolonged dialogue to concrete implementation.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the event was organised in collaboration with PROTEGO (Prevention of Marine Litter in the Gulf of Guinea).

Discussions centred on a draft policy input paper titled “Policies, Institutional Set-up and Financing of Marine Litter Prevention in Nigeria.”

This seeks to present insightful analysis and a set of recommendations to address the structural and financing gaps that have long hindered effective waste management, particularly plastic leakage from inland communities and waterways into the Atlantic Ocean.

The PROTEGO initiative is supported by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection and led by adelphi, with implementation in Nigeria by WASTE Africa and the Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre (NCIC).

The policy brief is a key deliverable under one of the programme’s four impact areas – building the capacity of public stakeholders.