The Federal Ministry of Environment on Monday, February 16, 2026, convened key stakeholders in Abuja to validate a landmark policy brief aimed at combating marine litter and accelerating Nigeria’s transition to a circular economy.
Speaking at the event, Mrs. Falmata Bukar Kolo, Deputy Director of the Solid Waste Management and Technology Division, warned that plastic pollution poses growing threats to aquatic ecosystems and public health.
She noted that microplastics have already entered the food chain through fish consumption, while clogged waterways, soil contamination, and greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of plastics continue to worsen environmental degradation.
According to her, plastics remain widely used but are non-biodegradable and can persist in the environment for many years.
Bukar Kolo called for stronger waste management systems, improved enforcement of environmental regulations, and significant behavioural change among citizens and businesses to curb plastic pollution and its long term consequences.
Also speaking, Mr. Clem Ugorji, Regional Coordinator of PROTEGO, stressed the urgency of decisive action, noting that Nigeria’s marine litter crisis carries serious environmental, economic, and reputational implications. He expressed optimism that the 2025 to 2040 roadmap endorsed during the workshop would move the country beyond prolonged discussions toward concrete and measurable implementation.
The event, organised in collaboration with PROTEGO Prevention of Marine Litter in the Gulf of Guinea, focused on a draft policy input paper titled “Policies, Institutional Set up and Financing of Marine Litter Prevention in Nigeria.” The document provides analytical insights and policy recommendations aimed at addressing structural and financing gaps that have long hindered effective waste management, particularly the leakage of plastics from inland communities and waterways into the Atlantic Ocean.
