Nigeria to Become Plastic Waste Dump Ground – Environmental CSOs Warn over Green Tax Removal

By Ekemini Simon 

The Environmental Rights Action/ Friends of the Earth Nigeria and member organizations of the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) have warned that the suspension of green taxation on single use plastics will make Nigeria a dumping ground for plastic waste products.

The reaction by the organisations follows the recent announcement by the Federal Government suspending the Green Taxation which imposes an excise tax on Single-Use Plastics, including containers and bottles.

The suspension the government said is in line with the current administration’s commitment to create a business-friendly environment. 

It could be recalled that the tax was introduced as part of the government’s efforts to address the growing concern over the impact of plastic waste on the ecosystem. 

In a statement released on Tuesday, the organisations said that the new development will only bring to fruition the dangerous prediction that plastic products in the ocean will surpass the number of fish in the water by 2040.

According to the Executive Director of ERA/ FoEN, Chima Williams, the Nigerian government is supposed to enact policies that will put an end to the invasion of plastic on the oceans and water bodies, not promoting policies and laws that increase the production of more plastic. 

Quoting Williams, the statement reads “At a time like this when the world is set on improving the consciousness of the public on the need to end the use of plastic, it is unfortunate that our president is increasing the importance of plastic products, when Nigeria is being ravaged by a plastic tsunami.”

“Nigeria is supposed to be signing a law that promotes the phase out of plastic. This suspension may seem that the government is not committed to the implementation of the Paris Agreement on the reduction of the impact of climate change from the waste sector.” 

He called on the government to deliberately program itself into a zero waste society where no waste is generated, or all waste generated are seen as resources.

Also speaking on the issue, the ERA/ FoEN Project Officer of Waste Management, Melody Enyinnaya pointed out that Green taxations are eco/environmental tax, foisted on activities that pollute the environment, as Single-Used Plastics have become a major pollutant of the environment.

According to her, Green taxation on SUPs incorporates the negative expanse of the adverse effects of SUPs on the environment and the idea surrounding green taxes is to increase production costs for corporations, thereby bringing about higher prices on plastics, which will have the effect of discouraging consumers from purchasing them, further reducing their pollution rate on the environment.

“The key implication here is that this suspension will impede the efforts in reducing SUPs pollution, especially for a country like Nigeria that does not have effective policies guiding SUPs production, consumption and disposal.”

“The government should revisit the suspension of green taxation, while considering the environmental and health implications of such policies at heart.”

She further advised the government to look at developing legislative instruments like a withdrawal policy that will hold these corporations accountable for their product waste.

On his part, the Executive Director of Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADeV), Dr Leslie Adogame said that an outright ban is the solution to the production of plastic waste in Nigeria.

He noted that only an outright ban and tax approach with a robust extended producer responsibility programme will help to arrest plastic pollution in Nigeria.

The Executive Director of Centre for Earth Works (CFEW), Benson Dotun Fasanya added that the suspension of green tax on plastics is an open door to a plastic tsunami in Nigeria.