Nigeria gets EPR toolbox to boost circular economy

Nigeria gets EPR toolbox to boost circular economy

 

By Faridat Salifu

Stakeholders across Nigeria’s environmental and waste management sectors convened in Abuja on Wednesday to launch the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Toolbox.

The initiative is part of the PROTEGO project, which supports Nigeria’s transition to a circular economy and addresses marine plastic pollution.

The workshop, which drew participants from federal ministries, agencies, civil society groups, producer responsibility organisations, and waste pickers’ networks, was part of the ongoing Prevention of Marine Litter in the Gulf of Guinea (PROTEGO) project, being implemented in Nigeria and Ghana with support from adelphi (Germany), WASTE Africa, and the Nigerian Circular Economy Working Group.

In his technical presentation, Mr. Amar Munnolimath, Head of the Green & Circular Economy Programme at adelphi, noted that the project focuses on practical solutions to reduce plastic leakage into coastal ecosystems.

“The PROTEGO project targets coastal cities like Calabar and Lagos, where we’ve identified four hotspots for piloting circular economy models,” he said.

“One of the key findings from our consultations is that most of the marine litter entering Nigerian waters is plastic, especially styrofoam,” Munnolimath said, adding, “Our goal is to work with ministries and local authorities to co-develop policy reforms and implement circular solutions that are financially sustainable.”

The adelphi official stressed the importance of building long-term models that remain viable even after donor funding ends.

“We don’t want the project to die after three years,” he said.

“We are designing at least five pilot projects that will receive financial and technical support to set up effective marine litter prevention and circular waste systems.”

He thanked the Federal Ministry of Environment and the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) for their commitment and cooperation.

In a separate address, Prof. Innocent Barikor, Director-General of NESREA, called on producers to take full responsibility for the entire life cycle of their products from production to end-of-life management.

“Producers must stop thinking only about putting products in the market,” he said.

“Whether you’re making electronics, plastics, or beverages, you have to plan for how to retrieve these products from the environment after they become waste.”

He described EPR as a paradigm shift from Nigeria’s current linear system of take-make-dispose to a circular economy where products and packaging are reused, recycled, or responsibly managed.

“The idea is to close the loop,” Prof. Barikor explained.

“Plastic waste ends up in rivers and oceans. That’s why we must engage producers directly—not just through policy, but through enforcement and system-level design that includes informal waste collectors and the general public.”

The six-module EPR Toolbox was developed to provide practical guidance for governments and stakeholders in the Global South. Topics covered included marine pollution impacts, EPR system design options, regulatory measures, stakeholder engagement, financial flows, integration of the informal recycling sector, and supervision and enforcement mechanisms.

Mr. Gabriel Onyebuolise, Programme and Strategy Manager at WASTE Africa, presented the PROTEGO project overview and stressed the value of cross-sector collaboration in building circular systems.

“Our work is not just technical. It is also institutional,” Onyebuolise said.
“We’re helping countries like Nigeria develop EPR frameworks that are context-specific, enforceable, and inclusive of waste pickers and small recyclers.”

He added that the training in Abuja is part of a broader roadmap to ensure Nigeria meets its commitments under regional and global marine litter prevention agreements.

Also speaking, Dr. Saleh Abubakar, Director-General of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall, underscored the importance of multi-stakeholder coordination.

“The policymakers are here, the industries are here, and the citizens are here,” he said.

“We must bring all three together—otherwise, industry will keep producing, and the pollution will keep going into the oceans.”

Participants also reviewed existing EPR-related regulations, such as the 2023 National Environmental (Food, Beverage and Tobacco Sector) Regulations and the draft 2025 Plastic Waste Control Regulations, alongside others covering e-waste, batteries, chemicals, and packaging.

The training concluded with practical discussions on EPR implementation roadmaps, including steps such as stakeholder mapping, regulatory authority creation, financing models, informal sector integration, and long-term monitoring.

The unveiling of the EPR Toolbox signals Nigeria’s increasing momentum toward building circular economy systems that not only reduce waste but also enhance accountability, job creation, and environmental sustainability.