The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has called for the suspension of the proposed ban on single-use plastics below 80 microns, pending a comprehensive regulatory impact assessment.

The director-general of MAN, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, made the call in a statement on Monday in Lagos.

The statement was in reaction to the proposed implementation of the National Environmental (Plastic Waste Control) Regulations 2026 by the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA).

The regulations seek to prohibit the production and use of single-use plastic products with a thickness below 80 microns, pursuant to Section 26(1).

The section imposes taxes on shopping bags with wall thicknesses ranging from 30 to 50 microns under Section 26(2) and restricts a wide range of plastic products listed in the Eleventh Schedule.

Mr Ajayi-Kadir said the proposed regulation by NESREA could disrupt industrial production, threaten jobs and impose significant socio-economic costs on manufacturers and consumers.

He stated that while the association supported efforts to tackle environmental pollution and promote sustainable waste management, it believed the proposed regulation was premature and lacked sufficient empirical justification.

Mr Ajayi-Kadir noted that the federal government, through the National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP), had developed a Plastic Circularity Roadmap in 2024 to address plastic waste through improved collection systems.

“Recycling infrastructure, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and circular economy initiatives.

“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,” he said.

The MAN chief also noted the absence of publicly available assessments on the impact of previous restrictions on single-use plastics.

He said there was no evidence of the extent to which earlier measures had reduced environmental pollution, improved recycling performance, or changed consumer behaviour.

Mr Ajayi-Kadir cited experiences from countries such as Kenya, Bangladesh, South Africa and India, saying bans on thin plastic products had often produced limited environmental gains while imposing significant economic costs.

He added that countries including Germany, South Korea and the Netherlands had achieved higher recycling rates through strengthened EPR systems and investments in recycling infrastructure.

The MAN director-general said the plastics industry remained a major contributor to manufacturing, supporting numerous factories, small and medium enterprises, and value chains linked to packaging, food processing, pharmaceuticals, agriculture and logistics.

He warned that the proposed 80-micron threshold would require substantial adjustments in manufacturing processes and machinery, potentially rendering existing investments obsolete and increasing production costs.

According to him, the additional costs are likely to be passed on to consumers, small businesses, market traders, and food vendors who rely on affordable packaging materials.

Mr Ajayi-Kadir, however, expressed concerns that the regulation could increase dependence on imported alternatives, contrary to national objectives of industrialisation, job creation, import substitution and export diversification.

He maintained that plastic pollution was fundamentally a waste management challenge requiring improvements in collection, sorting, recycling and disposal systems.

“The problem lies not in the material itself but in inadequate waste management infrastructure and enforcement mechanisms,” he said.

The MAN DG therefore urged NESREA and the federal government to suspend implementation of the proposed ban pending a comprehensive regulatory impact assessment.

He also called for an independent evaluation of the environmental, economic, social, fiscal and employment implications of the regulation.

He further urged the government to fully implement the recommendations of the 2024 NNPAP Plastic Circularity Roadmap, strengthen the EPR framework and accelerate investments in recycling and waste collection infrastructure.

“MAN also advocates the establishment of a broad-based stakeholder working group comprising government agencies, manufacturers, recyclers, academia, consumer groups, environmental organisations and development partners,” he said.

He said Nigeria could achieve environmental sustainability while preserving industrial growth, employment and economic competitiveness through evidence-based policies and stronger waste management systems.

(NAN)