The Lagos State Government on Tuesday stated that it has scaled up advocacy campaign across different levels on the dangers inherent in the use of styrofoam as well as to accelerate behavioural change amongst Lagosians.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water. Tokunbo Wahab made this known.
He was speaking when he hosted representatives of National Association of Supermarkets and Operators of Nigeria (NASON), adding that the ban of styrofoams should be looked at in terms of the larger picture to all residents.
He said the advocacy campaign is to ensure that the message is passed to all segments of the society on why they should embrace the ban.
He called for the support of the association and their members, insisting that there is no going back on the ban, adding that it is already having a bandwagon effect.
He stated that Abia state just also announced a ban of the usage of styrofoam underscoring the inherent dangers it poses to human and environmental health.
He reiterated that the decision to ban styrofoam and other single use plastics was taken at the National Council on Environment in 2021 with a window of three years for enforcement to commence in 2024.
He stated that at the expiration of the three weeks window given to distributors and sellers to mop the products in circulation, the state will commence enforcement of the ban, promising that the enforcement will be carried out in a civil but firm manner.
He added all other Single Use Plastics (SUPs) would be banned before the year runs out but there would be windows for deliberations with all stakeholders before they are phased out, saying that the representatives should endeavour to ensure that the information is well communicated to their members.
Wahab also urged manufacturers to be more innovative about coming with substitutes to single use plastics just as major countries, including the massively populated India has successfully done away with styrofoam despite its reputation as the country with the largest concentration of eating out points.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner who also appeared as guest on popular TV programme stressed that officials of Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI), Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources and LAWMA are currently engaged in educating/enlightening the masses on the need to transit from the use of styrofoam to multiple use containers.
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“As a result of the continuous usage of styrofoam, the disruption of our ecosystem is beyond imagination, the; disruption of aquatic and the human health implication is enormous; without enforcement it is as though pushing the dooms day and kicking the can down,” he said.
He said now is the set time for government to make a choice between the interest of 22 million people and the interest of very few business people that are out to make profit bearing in mind that a major element used in production of styrofoam is a major cause of cancer in the human body.
