Lagos shops, supermarkets, and restaurants may be forced out of business if they continue selling styrofoam packs, plastic straws, disposable cutlery, and other single-use plastics. This is after the Lagos State Government issued a notice, announcing that enforcement commences this July. 

The action is one component of what is being described as an emerging trend of environmental responsibility in Africa’s largest city. The Commissioner of the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab issued a warning to those businesses that do not comply, saying businesses that flout the new rule may be shutdown by the environmental task force of the state.

Why Now? 

Lagos produces thousands of tonnes of plastic waste, a great amount of this going into drains and other waterways each day. In January of 2024, the state had already declared that it would be banning styrofoam use, but stakeholder engagement has been, at best, sub-optimal. The more direct enforcement, they indicate, starts on a phase-by-phase basis, with major markets and food vendors as the first phase.

The government feels that people have been given due time to get used to the policy. However, critics believe that most of the small business owners continue to use cheap plastic packaging options since other options are unaffordable, or unavailable.

What is in the ban list?

Even though the government has not posted the complete list with items listed down, it is likely to affect the following packaging products:

• Takeaways (packs made of styrofoam – polystyrene)
• Plastic sticks,sSingle-use spoons, cups and forks
• Some shopping plastic bags and wrappings

Enforcement is likely to start at localities where there is apparent plastic waste – markets, bus parks and food courts.

 Restaurant owners and traders fear that the ban might cause the cost of operations to increase, especially when it is imposed without any support from the government that will see affordable options available to bukas and their patrons. To others, it is a belated move to reform the environmental practices.

The environmental groups, however, have largely welcomed the move. Plastic pollution has been cited as one of the immediate cause of environmental degradation in the state. The effect of plastic use and improper disposal are acutely felt especially in the wet season, when drainages are clogged, which then leads to severe flooding across the metropolis. The problem gets worse each year.

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It is not clear when the enforcement will take place. However, environmental task forces with the LAWMA and the KAI units are expected to commence regular inspection of business – bukas, restaurants, supermarkets, the regular markets, among others as their first point of call. Enforcing the ban in these places could be easy wins, since these places are where patrons demand their servings to be packaged for takeaways.

Buying takeaway meals may change, as patrons will perhaps go to these bukas and restaurants with food flasks in tow, and in shops, supermarkets and the regular markets, go with their own bags, thereby doing away with the need for plastic bags.

The bigger question, however, is: Does the Lagos State Government have the capacity to enforce the ban? Will it not go the way of other well intentioned policies that are all cooling in the cemetery where great ideas are buried in Nigeria?

Anita Chinedu