By Faridat Salifu
The Pan African Vision for the Environment (PAVE) has urged Nigerians to contact their national negotiating ministers and demand support for a strong, legally binding plastics treaty.
The call comes ahead of the resumed session of the fifth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2) on plastic pollution, which will take place from August 5 to 14, 2025, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.
Regional consultations are scheduled for August 4, 2025.
Anthony Akpan, President of PAVE, said ministers attending the talks must feel public pressure to support an ambitious outcome that addresses the full lifecycle of plastics.
“Due to INC-5.2 being a high-stakes meeting, many ministers will be attending,” Akpan said.
“We need to make sure that the ministers are feeling our pressure.”
Plastic pollution, according to Akpan, poses a serious threat to the environment and public health, especially in countries with poor waste management systems.
He said indiscriminate plastic disposal reduces the aesthetics of cities, pollutes terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and harms wildlife.
He cited data showing that about 13 million tonnes of plastic waste leak into oceans annually, killing around one million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals each year.
Akpan also warned that many plastics contain chemicals harmful to human health, which can enter food chains through degraded microplastics.
He said public awareness, improved plastic collection, and better waste processing systems are essential to solving the problem.
The call follows Nigeria’s endorsement of a 2022 UN resolution at the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2) in Nairobi to end plastic pollution through an international, legally binding instrument.
The resolution, supported by 175 countries, covers the production, design, and disposal of plastics and led to the creation of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC).
The INC was tasked with delivering a final agreement by the end of 2024, but the fifth session held earlier this year ended without consensus.
INC-5.2 is expected to produce the first near-final text of the treaty and determine how countries will cooperate to reduce plastic pollution globally.
Akpan said the outcome must promote reuse, recycling, and safe alternatives while ensuring developing countries receive technology and support for implementation.