By David Arome
Plastic waste is one of the many wastes indiscriminately disposed of along the streets, roadsides and drainages in Nigeria. It is hard to walk through the streets without seeing litters of plastic waste staring at you. Over time, this leads to the clogging of drainages, and waterways resulting in flooding.
Residual Impacts of Indiscriminate Disposal of Plastic and Other Waste
The usual euphoria that comes when it rains, especially with the cold natural refreshing breeze that accompanied it, turned out to be an unforgettable ordeal for John Usman. Usman, a petty trader residing in the Kabayi suburb of the Maraba community, Nasarawa State, narrates his bitter experience of the impact of flooding occasioned by plastics and other wastes.
Plastic pollution has recently gained global attention, with Nigeria taking its position in the emerging environmental public health threat. Nigeria generates over 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste annually. Sadly, less than 10% are recycled, while the bulk of the waste ends up in landfills and waterways.
It was Saturday, 22nd July 2023, that would have passed like any other day, but did not with the memory of loss still fresh in his mind. The cloud was heavy and the wind was blowing, but Usman quickly dressed up and rushed to the market to sell.
That same day, it rained heavily with flooding, leaving plastic waste littered around in the community. Shortly after the rain stopped, Usman received a phone call from a neighbour informing him that his house had been flooded. “I won’t believe if anyone tells me that the rain would result in flooding,” Usman said.
Usman rushed to the house to confirm the information he had received from his neighbour. On reaching the house, he could not hold back his tears, as the flood had destroyed his house and properties. There are many others with similar experiences.
“I’m still in shock from the flooding incident, as I am yet to make up for all the lost items,” Usman recalls.
Nigerians on the streets expressed concern about the environmental threat posed by plastic pollution. Martha Oguche, a roadside petty trader in Maraba, Nasarawa State, bared her mind on the devastating effects of plastic pollution. She blamed the indiscriminate dumping of plastic waste on the poor waste management system and the attitude of people in keeping their environment clean per time.
“The aftermath effect of what is happening is a result of people carelessness and improper disposal of plastic waste.” Martha noted.
Contributory factors to plastic pollution
It’s now a usual practice among many Nigerians to throw plastic waste along the streets without having considered the consequences. In the long run, these plastic wastes accumulate to block the flow of waterways, resulting in flooding and stagnant pools of water that provide a habitat for insects and rodents to thrive and spread diseases.
The waste management system is far from getting it right, probably due to a shortage of personnel and equipment to mop up the waste collection from communities and strategic waste dumping sites. More so, the lack of waste segregation, particularly of plastic from solid waste, poses a significant challenge, as collected waste is all mixed and disposed of together.
Furthermore, the number of recycling companies is insufficient to match the massive plastic waste turnout. Hence, the bulk of the generated plastic waste ends up in landfills and waterways, which in turn escalates the flooding.
Beyond Policy Approval
The national plastic waste management policy is the currently existing plastic policy in Nigeria. The national policy came into the limelight in 2020 following the approval by the federal executive council. The policy was originally initiated by the Federal Ministry of Environment with the sole aim of improving plastic waste management in Nigeria.
The national policy framework cut across all three levels of government, with the overarching goal of encouraging the sustainable use of plastic as a resource through life cycle management. The strategy is to lay the foundations so that the design and production of plastics and plastic products fully respect reuse, repair, and recycling needs, and more sustainable materials are developed and promoted. This will increase Nigeria’s added value and prosperity while also stimulating innovation. It will curb plastic pollution and its adverse impact on our lives and the environment.
Although the national policy was meant to improve the plastic waste management system, implementation across the board remains the key challenge, as many states are yet to domesticate the policy or even enact similar ones. In comparison to other developing countries in Africa, such as Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, the level of commitment of the government at both the national and state levels to combat plastic pollution in Nigeria is abysmally low.
Policy Implementation Gaps and the Need or Action
“Within the Nigerian context, most cities lack well-structured waste collection points and recycling systems compared to what is obtainable in developed nations,” Mmachukwu Loretta Obimdike, founder of the Green Environment and Climate Change Initiative (GRENCHI) and climate expert, reveals.
The hallmark of policy gap is implementation; Mmachukwu enjoins other states to buy into the “All Anambra Communities Plastic Waste Recovery Challenge” as a measure to curb the plastic waste menace. The initiative is a community-based approach to encourage communities to get rid of plastic wastes, attached with an incentive to motivate the people.
The poor waste management system is not just peculiar to the affected flooding states but a lingering problem across Nigeria. Despite the national plastic waste management policy in place, the country suffers from an implementation crisis. The propelling will is still lacking, especially from the government, in setting the pace in reviving the ailing waste management system, as well as tapping into innovative technology in converting plastic waste to wealth.
“The government and private sectors can invest in the waste infrastructure. Promote the use of biodegradable material such as the stem of bananas as used in China and India for packaging, backed with strict policies,” Mmachukwu explains.
On the quick-fix approach, Loretta noted that “individuals and communities can adopt routine waste cleanup exercises of the drainages before the rainy season. People should be taught how to segregate plastic from other waste, as only informed people can act.”
“More so, the waste management system should be revived in all the local government areas, fully equipped with all necessary tools to function optimally,” Mmachukwu said.
A clean, safe, and healthy environment is a possibility and everyone’s business, not just the government’s alone. A clean environment is a safe environment.
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