Foundation partners Ekiti Assembly on bill banning single-use plastics

The Triple Green Environmental Development Foundation (TGED) has partnered with the Ekiti State House of Assembly towards the successful passage of a bill banning single-use plastics in the state.

The speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Adeoye Aribasoye who spoke at the weekend during a Pre- legislative stakeholder forum on the single-use plastics regulation bill organized by TGED in collaboration with House committee on environment, said that the bill would be considered speedily in the interest of the state.

The parley with the theme, ‘ Towards a Plastic-Free Ekiti: Building Consensus for Legislative Action ‘ was attended by stakeholders including market women, youths, environmentalists, media, academia, plastic manufacturers, and hoteliers among others.

Aribasoye who commended the foundation for the stakeholders’ engagement, added that inputs from the public would be collated in enacting the regulation that is aimed at preserving the environment and safeguarding the society for the coming generation through the ban on single-use plastics in the state.

While lamenting the negative impacts of single-use plastics on the environment, health, and well-being of the people, the speaker noted that the lawmakers would continue to prioritize legislation targeted at preserving the environment and making life more comfortable for the citizens.

According to him, ” We are here because of what we have seen as one of the things that have contributed to environmental degradation and that has also caused pollution in the air, thereby creating hazards is what we call the single-use plastics.

“By research, it has been observed that some of these single-use plastics could be there for 500 years and our focus with the founder of TGED, is to see how we can eradicate this and look for other means. This is why the parley is key and whatever the outcome will form part of what will be considered, knowing fully that we are proposing a bill in the Ekiti State House of Assembly to see how we can ban single-use plastics.

” Don’t forget that part of the flooding we are seeing is as a result of the single use plastics. We should also know that we never inherited this earth, we only borrowed it from our children, meaning that in our time, the preservation of the earth and the environment is paramount to us. The whole essence of this is the preservation of the environment. We will give the bill accelerated passage in the House of Assembly.”

On her part, the Founder and Chief Executive officer of TGED foundation, Oluwaseyi Ebenezer said the event was organized to fashion out ways of taking action aimed at ensuring a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient future for the coming generation.

Ebenezer who listed plastic straws, disposable cups and cutlery, styrofoam food containers, water sachets, and polythene bags as single-use plastics, added that they have become a threat to the economy, environment, and public health, hence the need for its regulation.

She said, ” Today, we convene not merely for discussion, but for action -action that will shape policy, secure our environment, and position Ekiti as a trailblazer in sustainable governance.

” In Nigeria, we generate about 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, a significant portion of which is single-use and we have seen the consequences in Ekiti state like toxic emissions from burning plastics, drainage systems clogged leading to flooding, among others.

” This is not an ecological concern. It is a public health emergency and economic burden and a governance challenge. We must act and act decisively in making Ekiti a model for environmental stewardship in Nigeria.”

While commending the House of Assembly Committee on Environment for proposing the bill, the CEO noted that” this proposed legislation is timely and visionary, aligned with the global standards like the United Nations Plastics Treaty and directly contributing to the SDGs 12 and 13.”

In her keynote address, the chairman of the House Committee on Environment and lawmaker representing Ilejemeje, Iyabo Fakunle-Okeimen, stressed the importance of the legislation banning SUPs, soliciting support from stakeholders towards its passage and assent by the governor.

The deputy vice-chancellor of Ekiti State University (EKSU) Professor Wole Adebayo in his presentation titled, “Understanding the Impact of Plastic Pollution, Environmental, Health, and Economic Consequences” harped on more awareness and sensitisation of single-use plastic and the danger it poses to the health.

He also said that used plastics can be converted into wealth by purchasing these products and recycling them into refined products.

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