Nigeria’s plastic waste management project got a lift as Japan and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) have set aside a funding support of 319 million yen or about $2.8 million.
With the support the Federal Government will step up the promotion of projects contributing to the emergence of the circular economy in the plastics sector.
The funding agreement was signed on February 10, 2022, in Abuja between the Federal Ministry of Environment, the Japanese Embassy in Nigeria and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
The 319 million-yen (nearly $2.8 million) funding comes after Nigeria joined the “marine initiative” launched by Japan to support the G20 Osaka Blue Ocean Vision. The ambition is to reduce marine plastic waste pollution to zero by 2050 worldwide, particularly in Africa, through a comprehensive life cycle approach.
The Federal Government plans to develop guidelines for the implementation of sustainable plastic waste management projects at the national and state levels.
Nigeria plans to strengthen recycling value chains in selected municipalities in Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja), as well as technology demonstration of circular economy and resource efficiency practices. Actions, which will support the efforts already undertaken by the West African country on plastic waste management.
In 2020, a national policy on plastics recovery (into secondary raw materials, biogas or electricity) was developed by the Nigerian authorities with the support of UNIDO. A year later, in 2021, Nigeria joined the multilateral initiative against plastic pollution, the Global Partnership for Action on Plastics, GRAP, of the World Economic Forum.
