Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has expressed concern over the proposed implementation of the National Environmental (Plastic Waste Control) Regulations by the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), saying the proposed measures would disrupt industrial production, undermine investments in the plastics value chain, and threaten thousands of direct and indirect jobs.

The regulations seek to prohibit the production and use of single-use plastic (SUPs) products below 80 microns in thickness pursuant to Section 26(1), impose taxes on shopping bags with wall thicknesses ranging from 30 to 50 microns under Section 26(2) and restrict a wide range of plastic products listed in the Eleventh Schedule.

MAN Director-General, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, called for immediate suspension of the proposal, saying the plan was premature, lacked sufficient empirical justification and posed significant risks to Nigeria’s economy, industrial sector, employment landscape and the livelihoods of millions of citizens.

He noted that the Federal Government, through the National Plastic Action Partnership (NNPAP), developed a comprehensive Plastic Circularity Roadmap in 2024 in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Environment, providing a framework for achieving plastic waste reduction through enhanced collection systems, recycling infrastructure, extended producer responsibility (EPR), circular economy initiatives, public awareness and investments in waste management.

He regretted that the recommendations contained in the roadmap have yet to be implemented.

“It is difficult to understand why the government is proceeding with a new prohibition regime without first evaluating the effectiveness of existing measures and implementing the agreed roadmap designed specifically to address plastic pollution sustainably and inclusively.

“More importantly, there has been no publicly available assessment of the impact of previously restricted SUP products in Nigeria. There is no evidence showing the extent to which earlier bans have reduced environmental pollution, improved waste collection rates, enhanced recycling performance or changed consumer behaviour. Public policy should be driven by evidence, measurable outcomes and stakeholder consultation rather than assumptions,” he advised.

He noted that international experience shows that banning thin plastic bags and other thin plastic products without adequate recycling infrastructure rarely delivers the intended environmental outcomes.

“First, when enforcement weakens, plastic consumption returns. Demand for affordable, lightweight packaging is structural and thin bags inevitably re-enter the market through informal channels, imports and cross-border trade. Second, the domestic industry does not recover easily. Closed factories, displaced workers, lost investments, broken supply chains and abandoned export markets are not automatically restored when policies are relaxed.

“Third, the country becomes increasingly dependent on imports. Products once manufactured locally are sourced from abroad, consuming scarce FX while eroding domestic employment, tax revenues and industrial capacity,” he said.