* Says investment in plastic waste collection over N1.3b

The Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA) has urged the National Assembly to prioritise investment in recycling infrastructure over an outright ban on single-use plastics, warning that a poorly sequenced prohibition could undermine both environmental and economic gains.

The Alliance made its position known when it appeared before the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Preparedness for the Single-Use Plastics Ban in Abuja.

Presenting its submission, FBRA argued that Nigeria’s plastic pollution challenge is driven less by the existence of plastic packaging and more by the absence of efficient collection, segregation and recycling systems, as well as poor disposal practices.

Citing data from the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, the group noted that Nigeria generates about 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste yearly, while waste management infrastructure remains significantly underdeveloped.

FBRA highlighted its own track record since inception in 2018, including the recovery of over 117,000 tonnes of post-consumer packaging, the establishment of 16 collection centres across the six geo-political zones, and engagement with more than 200 communities nationwide.

It also pointed to the development of a closed-loop recycling system for PET bottles in Lagos, which it said has contributed to measurable reductions in plastic leakage.

According to the Alliance, its member companies have collectively invested over N1.3 billion in plastic waste collection infrastructure, while the broader sector has committed more than N3 trillion towards recycling facilities.

It warned that an abrupt ban could strand these investments and stall progress in building the infrastructure needed to tackle plastic waste effectively.

The position of the Alliance aligns with views expressed at the hearing, where the Speaker of the House of Representatives, through a representative, called for a structured transition, while the Committee Chairman, Terseer Ugbor, emphasised the need for reforms that balance environmental sustainability with economic realities.

FBRA proposed a circular economy framework anchored on three key strategies: reducing material use through packaging optimisation, promoting reuse systems to extend product life cycles, and expanding recycling through stronger take-back schemes and investment in recovery facilities.

The Alliance also raised concerns about the potential socio-economic impact of an outright ban, noting that beyond about 25,000 direct jobs in the plastics sector, over three million indirect livelihoods across logistics, informal waste collection, aggregation and recycling could be at risk.

It stressed that waste collectors and aggregators, who play a critical role in Nigeria’s recycling chain, could lose their primary sources of income without a structured transition plan.

Speaking at the hearing, FBRA Executive Director, Agharese Onaghise, called for what she described as a “just transition” that reflects current realities while setting clear and achievable targets for the future.

“What we are asking for is a just transition, one that is honest about where Nigeria’s infrastructure is today, sets clear and achievable targets for where it needs to be, and invests in building the systems that will make those targets real.

“That is the only approach that can deliver genuine environmental gains without destroying the livelihoods of millions of Nigerians,”  Onaghise said.

She also appealed for more investment in research to identify sustainable packaging alternatives that are applicable in the food and beverage sector.

FBRA further recommended a phased national roadmap to 2040 aligned with Nigeria’s Circular Economy Roadmap (2024), the introduction of mandatory recycled-content requirements, integration of informal waste collectors into a formal Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework, and the creation of a transition finance facility supported by concessional funding.

The Alliance commended existing regulatory efforts, particularly the National Guidelines for EPR Implementation on Packaging (2025) and called for sustained stakeholder engagement to accelerate their enforcement.

It maintained that a recycling-led strategy, rather than an outright ban, offers a more practical and inclusive pathway to addressing Nigeria’s plastic pollution challenge.