In a bold and unwavering stance on environmental protection, the Lagos State Government has announced that full-scale enforcement of the ban on Single Use Plastics (SUPs) will commence across the state on July 1, 2025.
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, made this declaration during a high-level meeting with the management of Tetra Pak West Africa Limited at the Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja.
Describing the impending enforcement as an existential decision, Wahab said Lagos had been deliberate in its phased approach to eradicating harmful plastics—especially as a coastal megacity below sea level with just 3,575 square kilometres of land but housing over 10% of Nigeria’s population. Nigeria: Nigerian fashion
That alone is a recipe for crisis. We did not just wake up whimsically and choose to ban styrofoam food packs in 2024, Wahab stated.
The commissioner noted that when the state banned Styrofoam food packs in 2024, it also issued a 12-month notice to phase out all SUPs and now, after 18 months of transition, Wahab said the government is ready to act—and nothing will halt the enforcement.
We are going to start by July 1, 2025, and heavens will not fall, he declared.
Wahab disclosed that Lagos has recorded over 70% compliance among producers and distributors, largely due to continuous dialogue with key industry stakeholders, including the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBBRA).
If producers, with due respect, seek to undermine the system and do things that are not done in any civilised country, we must insist on accountability,” he said.
He challenged companies resisting the transition, warning that blind-siding the government would bring consequences.
Let them say of us that we did the right thing at the right time for the greater good of our people. That is what this is all about.
Wahab noted that many SUP producers in Nigeria are well-travelled and fully aware that the products they continue to flood the market with have been banned across the globe.
If 18 months is not enough to transition, then it shows producers are not serious about any transitioning, he warned.
The Commissioner appealed to stakeholders to notify the government of their plans rather than operate in secrecy.
Do not blindside the state because there will be consequences. Globally, producers have responsibilities for their products. Let us do the same,” Wahab added.
He stressed that tracking, collecting, and recycling these materials would bring environmental comfort and sustainability—goals the state is firmly committed to.
Styrofoam packs are practically useless outside commercial use, but single-use plastics are more complex. That’s why we gave 18 months instead of 12—and now we begin enforcement.
The Managing Director of Tetra Pak West Africa, Haithem Debbiche, praised the Lagos State Government’s policy direction, stating that Tetra Pak is fully aligned with the environmental goals of the administration.
We just want you to know that we are fully in support of the laws of the Lagos State Government. We’ve made significant progress, but we recognise that there’s still much more to do, he said.
Debbiche noted that Tetra Pak, operating in Nigeria since 1970, has always placed a premium on sustainability and equitable food access.
The meeting was attended by key state officials, including Dr. Gaji Omobolaji Tajudeen, Engr. Mahamood Adegbite, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, and Engr. Adefemi Afolabi, among others from the Ministry.
