Manufacturers warn proposed plastic ban could raise costs, threaten jobs
MAN urges government to halt planned restrictions, citing risks to investment and consumer prices.
The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria has urged the Federal Government to suspend a proposed ban on thin single-use plastics, warning that the policy could increase production costs, threaten jobs and undermine local manufacturing.
The proposed National Environmental (Plastic Waste Control) Regulations 2026 would prohibit the production and use of single-use plastic products below 80 microns in thickness while imposing taxes on shopping bags with wall thicknesses between 30 and 50 microns.
While backing efforts to reduce environmental pollution and improve waste management, MAN argued that the proposed regulation was premature and could create unintended economic consequences.
In a statement on Monday, the association’s Director-General, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, said the proposed threshold would require manufacturers to make significant adjustments to their production systems.
“The implementation of an 80-micron threshold would require substantial changes in manufacturing processes, machinery configurations, and raw material consumption. Such changes could render existing investments obsolete, increase production costs significantly, reduce competitiveness, and expose manufacturers to substantial capital losses,” he said.
According to MAN, Nigeria’s plastics industry supports hundreds of manufacturing facilities, thousands of small and medium-sized businesses and a value chain that cuts across packaging, food processing, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, retail trade, logistics and recycling.
The association warned that any increase in production costs would eventually be passed on to consumers already struggling with high inflation and declining purchasing power.
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“The consequences extend beyond manufacturers. Increased production costs will inevitably be passed on to consumers, many of whom are already grappling with unprecedented inflationary pressures and declining purchasing power. Small businesses, market traders, food vendors, and informal sector operators who rely heavily on affordable packaging solutions will face additional operational costs, with potentially severe implications for business sustainability and household welfare,” Ajayi-Kadir said.
MAN also cautioned that the policy could weaken local industry at a time when the country is pursuing industrialisation, import substitution and export growth.
“At a time when Nigeria is pursuing industrialisation, job creation, import substitution, and export diversification, policies that undermine domestic manufacturing capacity should be carefully reconsidered,” he said.
The association argued that government should focus on strengthening waste collection, recycling and resource recovery systems rather than introducing fresh restrictions.
“Plastic pollution should be addressed at its source through effective waste management and resource recovery systems. The challenge lies not in the production of plastics, but in the inefficient collection, sorting, recycling, and disposal of post-consumer waste,” Ajayi-Kadir stated.
MAN noted that the Federal Government had already developed a Plastic Circularity Roadmap in 2024 through the National Plastic Action Partnership and the Federal Ministry of Environment to address plastic pollution through recycling infrastructure, improved collection systems and Extended Producer Responsibility initiatives.
The association questioned why a new prohibition regime was being introduced before the effectiveness of those measures had been fully assessed.
“It is therefore difficult to understand why the government is proceeding with a new prohibition regime without first evaluating the effectiveness of existing measures and implementing the agreed roadmap designed specifically to address plastic pollution in a sustainable and inclusive manner,” Ajayi-Kadir said.
It also criticised the absence of publicly available evidence showing the impact of previous restrictions on plastic waste.
“There is no evidence showing the extent to which earlier bans have reduced environmental pollution, improved waste collection rates, enhanced recycling performance, or changed consumer behaviour. Public policy should be driven by evidence, measurable outcomes, and stakeholder consultation rather than assumptions,” he added.
The association called on the Federal Government and NESREA to suspend the proposed regulation pending a comprehensive impact assessment and broader stakeholder engagement.
