The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has called for the development of a national policy on waste management.

The director-general of NIMASA, Bashir Jamoh, made the appeal on Saturday at the ongoing 2021 Lagos International Trade Fair.

The fair, organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, had the generic theme “Connecting Businesses, Creating Value.”

Mr Jamoh who spoke on the topic “Blue Economy Potential of Lagos State,” at NIMASA’s special day, said the policy would ensure that the country would harness its blue economy.

Represented by Momoh Alhassan, the assistant director, Shipping Promotions, NIMASA, Mr Jamoh said that the policy should also look at waste as wealth.

“Improving marine litter management will require improving systems for solid waste collection, transport, recycling, re-use and final disposal.

“Recycling must be encouraged to reduce dumping of plastics all over.

“Disposal of hazardous chemical waste related to agriculture and manufacturing poses another challenge as some coastal communities lack adequate facilities for storage and disposal,” he said.

He added that the impacts of marine litter include entanglement and ingestion by marine animals, which had been identified as a global problem.

He advised that Lagos State maritime regulatory agencies pay attention to waste management if the blue economy potential of the country’s waters would be properly harnessed.

(NAN)