By Obiabin Onukwugha
The Japanese government has pledged to provide more support for the ‘Accelerating a Circular Plastic Economy to Reduce Plastic Pollution and its Impacts in African Region and its Countries’ project in Nigeria.
Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Hideo Suzuki, made the pledge while speaking during a courtesy call on the Director General of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Dr. Innocent Barikor, in Abuja on Tuesday.
Suzuki expressed the satisfaction of the Japanese government with the dedication and commitment exhibited by NESREA in the first phase of the project.
Related Posts
He noted with delight that the initial support through Japanese Supplementary Budget (JSB1) had supported stakeholders’ engagement, development of national guidelines for the implementation of EPR for packaging (Plastic), and EPR enforcement plan.
The Ambassador said the second phase of the project, which would be funded from the Japanese Supplementary Budget 2 (JSB2), would kick off in March 2025 and further scale up on the initiatives of first phase.
He also stated that the second phase of the project will consider development of reuse and refill systems to address pollution from water sachets, conduct feasibility study and identify possible reuse solutions; consultations with relevant stakeholders; and identifying financial gaps for reuse systems and solutions to Single Use Plastic (SUP) pollution.
Responding, the Director General of NESREA, Dr. Innocent Barikor, expressed his gratitude to the government and people of Japan, noting that their support has assisted the agency in promoting sustainable environmental practices and aligning with circular plastic economy.
He expressed the agency’s desire to understudy the advanced and effective waste management system operated in Japan and looked forward to future collaborations with the Government of Japan.
