•Don’t Be In Haste To Destroy Jobs, NLC Advises Sanwo-Olu
Reactions have continued to trail the Lagos State government’s ban on the usage and distribution of styrofoam and single-use plastics in the state with immediate effect.

While many have commended the move by the state government, following the environmental hazard it poses to residents, organised businesses whose operations are threatened by the policy, have lamented that the sudden ban might lead to more businesses shutting down, which would also lead to job losses.

They maintained that before embarking on the move, the state government should have called for a stakeholders’ engagement, especially as it concerns manufacturers and businesses that have heavily invested in the business for proper phasing out, so that they do not run into huge debts and losses.

Although the state government has announced the suspension of the implementation of the ban until after three weeks, the Director-General of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, said the ban was too sudden and harsh for those involved in the business.

He maintained the government did not consider the economic implications of the ban.

He said: “These are businesses that import their materials. They probably have them in stock while some borrowed money from the bank. If the government wants to phase them out for whatever reason, then the phasing out must be gradual so that the businesses can adjust to the current realities.

“On the three weeks concession, since we are not in a military dictatorship, the government should be able to engage those that are involved and present the case on the direction to go. But to just wake up and unilaterally ban a product, distort business operations and create unnecessary distortions in economic activities, we think the government can do better.

“While we are not lost to the environmental issues that the product poses to the environment, which is a real issue, there is no alternative to social dialogue for those involved to phase them out so that those that have invested in the business will not run into loss and huge debts.”

Director-General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Segun Ajayi-Kadir, who said he has sought engagement with the state government, told The Guardian that the association was in a meeting and would come up with a position paper on the issue. However, the paper was yet to be made public at the time of filing this report.

President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, said the Lagos State government might have meant well on the implications of the policy on the environment, but also needed to weigh the implications on the people who would be affected.

“The question is if they have conducted real economic impact assessments on the policy. Have they engaged the stakeholders and done stakeholder mapping to find out how it is going to affect the manufacturing community and the people consuming the product? The timing you have given; is it arbitrary or was it considered enough for a company that is producing that item to recoup its machinery to start to produce other items?

“If these are not done, it means it will have implications for jobs and also cost a run on the manufacturing debts of companies in Lagos,” he said.

He revealed that the ban might trigger some of the companies to move their machinery to neighbouring states like Ogun, Oyo and Ondo States.

“If you say you have banned single-use plastics, people can still smuggle them from all across. On the styrofoam, Nigerians were bringing them initially from Cotonou and other parts of West Africa into Lagos. So if you ban it, what would be the response and impact on the manufacturers and the businessmen, such as the traders? Is Lagos prepared for the job losses? Are they also prepared for the businesses that would be impacted that majorly deal with styrofoam and single-use plastics?

“The state government should not be in a haste to destroy jobs but rather to be in haste to perfect jobs. There is the need to call stakeholders meetings; let those going to be impacted hold discussions and how the state is ready to prepare them to make the transition.

“The workers that are going to be affected, how are they going to be taken care of? Government should not take actions that will destroy jobs but create jobs. That is the essence of governance. If they are thinking of the environmental pollution, they should also speed up how to dispose of the plastics so that they can be processed into fresh raw materials for industrial use,” he said.

Public Affairs Analyst, Jide Ojo, commended Lagos State on the policy but also disagreed with it on its immediate implementation.

“You don’t do things of this nature without prior consultation with the manufacturers and sellers. How many workers does Lagos have that can enforce it?

“Notwithstanding the health hazard and economic implications the product poses to the environment, you need to have a phased period like three to six months, where Lagos through the Ministry of Environment consults with the manufacturers or importers and retailers, as well as embarks on public enlightenment, including jingles in the media on dangers of the products so that people can stop buying them,” he said.