Environment
THE National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) says the newly introduced National Environmental (Plastic Waste Control) Regulations 2026 will reduce plastic pollution, strengthen producer responsibility and drive the transition to a circular economy in Nigeria’s plastics sector.
The Director-General of NESREA, Prof. Innocent Barikor, said this on Monday during a media engagement on the National Environmental (Plastic Waste Control) Regulations 2026 in Abuja.
Represented by Dr Christopher Beka, Director of Inspection and Enforcement, Barikor said the engagement was aimed at providing the public with a clearer understanding of the new regulations.
He described the regulations as a national environmental and circular economy instrument designed to reduce plastic pollution, strengthen producer accountability and stimulate recycling.
According to him, the regulations were enacted pursuant to the powers conferred by the NESREA Act and have been duly gazetted as subsidiary legislation.
“They provide a structured, phased and consultative framework for managing plastic products and plastic waste across the entire value chain,” he said.
Barikor stressed that the regulations were not targeted at undermining industry but were intended to promote environmental sustainability and resource efficiency.
“The Plastic Waste Control Regulations 2026 are not anti-industry. They are pro-environment, pro-resource efficiency, pro-recycling, pro-innovation and pro-sustainable industrial development.
“Nigeria cannot continue with a plastics system in which products are placed on the market without adequate responsibility for their recovery, recycling or environmentally sound management.
“At the same time, NESREA recognises that successful implementation requires partnership with industry,” he said.
He explained that the regulations made a clear distinction between plastic carrier bags and other forms of plastic packaging.
According to him, it is misleading to portray the regulations as a blanket ban on all plastic packaging or all single-use plastics.
“The focus is on eliminating the most problematic, low-value, easily littered and difficult-to-recover plastic materials while guiding industry towards improved design, recovery, reuse, recycling and responsible end-of-life management,” he said.
Barikor further clarified that the 80-micron specification contained in Regulation 26 applies only to certain plastic bags made from plastic film.
“It does not amount to a blanket prohibition on all plastic packaging, nor does it ban all single-use plastic products across the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, agricultural, logistics or manufacturing sectors,” he said.
He warned that suspending the regulations at this stage could create regulatory uncertainty, delay investment decisions, weaken producer accountability and discourage recycling initiatives.
The NESREA boss urged the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and other stakeholders to engage constructively in the implementation process.
“The objective is not to weaken manufacturing, but to reposition Nigeria’s plastics sector for competitiveness in a world increasingly moving towards circularity, traceability, recycled content, producer responsibility and sustainable packaging.
“NESREA remains committed to transparent, evidence-based and consultative implementation of the regulations in a manner that protects the environment, supports industry transition, creates green jobs and advances Nigeria’s circular economy,” he said. (NAN)
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Tags: NESREA Plastic Regulation