The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has called on the Federal Government and the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) to suspend the proposed ban on single-use plastics below 80 microns.
The association warned that the policy could render existing investments obsolete, increase production costs, reduce competitiveness, and expose manufacturers to substantial capital losses.
In a statement issued on Monday, MAN expressed concern over the planned implementation of the National Environmental (Plastic Waste Control) Regulations 2026. The regulations seek to prohibit the production and use of single-use plastic products with a thickness below 80 microns and impose taxes on shopping bags with wall thicknesses between 30 and 50 microns.
MAN said it supports efforts to address environmental pollution and promote sustainable waste management. However, it described the proposed regulation as premature and lacking sufficient empirical justification.
The Director-General of MAN, Mr. Segun Ajayi-Kadir, said the implementation of the 80-micron threshold would have significant consequences for manufacturers and consumers.
“The implementation of an 80-micron threshold would require substantial changes in manufacturing processes, machinery configurations, and raw material consumption. Such changes could render existing investments obsolete, increase production costs significantly, reduce competitiveness, and expose manufacturers to substantial capital losses,” he said.
According to MAN, Nigeria’s plastic manufacturing industry remains one of the country’s largest light manufacturing sectors. The industry supports hundreds of manufacturing facilities, thousands of small and medium-scale enterprises, and a broad value chain that includes petrochemicals, packaging, food processing, pharmaceuticals, retail trade, agriculture, logistics, and recycling.
The association warned that higher production costs would eventually be transferred to consumers already struggling with rising inflation and declining purchasing power.
Ajayi-Kadir noted that small businesses, market traders, food vendors, and informal sector operators who depend on affordable packaging materials would face increased operating costs if the regulation takes effect.
“The consequences extend beyond manufacturers. Increased production costs will inevitably be passed on to consumers, many of whom are already grappling with unprecedented inflationary pressures and declining purchasing power,” he stated.
MAN also cautioned that the proposed regulation could accelerate deindustrialisation by increasing reliance on imported alternatives and raw materials.
“At a time when Nigeria is pursuing industrialisation, job creation, import substitution, and export diversification, policies that undermine domestic manufacturing capacity should be carefully reconsidered,” Ajayi-Kadir said.
The association further argued that the policy could negatively affect government revenue through reduced industrial output, lower investments, and job losses.
MAN recalled that the Federal Government, through the National Plastic Action Partnership, developed a Plastic Circularity Roadmap in 2024 in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Environment. The roadmap was designed to address plastic pollution through improved waste collection systems, recycling infrastructure, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) initiatives, and public awareness campaigns.
However, the association lamented that many of the roadmap’s recommendations have not been fully 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 in a sustainable and inclusive manner,” Ajayi-Kadir said.
MAN also criticised the absence of a publicly available assessment of previous restrictions on single-use plastics in Nigeria.
According to the association, 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,” Ajayi-Kadir stated.
Drawing from international experiences, MAN said countries such as Kenya, Bangladesh, South Africa, and India recorded mixed outcomes following bans on thin plastic products. These outcomes included factory closures, job losses, and the continued circulation of banned products through informal channels.
The association added that countries such as Germany, South Korea, and the Netherlands achieved better environmental outcomes through Extended Producer Responsibility systems and investments in recycling infrastructure rather than outright bans.
MAN maintained that plastic pollution is primarily a waste management challenge rather than a production problem.
“Plastic pollution should be addressed at its source through effective waste management and resource recovery systems. The challenge lies not in the production of plastics, but in the inefficient collection, sorting, recycling, and disposal of post-consumer waste,” Ajayi-Kadir said.
The association urged NESREA and the Federal Government to suspend the proposed ban pending a comprehensive Regulatory Impact Assessment. It also called for the evaluation of previous plastic restrictions, full implementation of the 2024 Plastic Circularity Roadmap, strengthening of the Extended Producer Responsibility framework, and the establishment of a broad-based stakeholder working group to develop an evidence-based transition strategy.
“Nigeria must pursue environmental sustainability without sacrificing industrial growth, economic competitiveness, employment, and social welfare. Effective regulation should strike a balance between environmental protection and economic development,” Ajayi-Kadir added.
