By Abdullahi Lukman
The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has urged the Federal Government and the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) to suspend the proposed ban on single-use plastic products below 80 microns, warning that the policy could threaten investments, increase production costs and lead to job losses.
In a statement issued on Monday, MAN expressed concerns over the proposed National Environmental (Plastic Waste Control) Regulations 2026, which seek to prohibit the production and use of single-use plastics thinner than 80 microns and impose taxes on shopping bags with wall thicknesses between 30 and 50 microns.
The association said although it supports efforts to reduce environmental pollution and improve waste management, the proposed regulation is premature and lacks sufficient evidence to justify its implementation.
It warned that the policy could negatively impact the manufacturing sector, the wider economy and employment.
MAN Director-General, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, said the proposed 80-micron threshold would require extensive adjustments to manufacturing processes, machinery and raw material usage, resulting in significant financial burdens for manufacturers.
“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 plastic manufacturing industry remains one of the country’s largest light manufacturing sectors, supporting hundreds of factories, thousands of small and medium-sized enterprises and a value chain that spans packaging, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, food processing, retail, logistics and recycling.
The association warned that higher production costs would eventually be passed on to consumers, worsening the burden on households already struggling with inflation and declining purchasing power.
It added that small businesses, traders and food vendors who depend on affordable packaging materials would also face increased operating expenses.
MAN further cautioned that the regulation could encourage greater reliance on imported alternatives, undermine local production and slow the country’s industrialisation efforts.
“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,” Ajayi-Kadir said.
The association also argued that the policy could reduce government revenue through lower industrial output, declining investments and potential job losses across the manufacturing value chain.
MAN recalled that the Federal Government, through the National Plastic Action Partnership, developed a Plastic Circularity Roadmap in 2024 in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Environment to address plastic pollution through improved waste collection, recycling infrastructure, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) initiatives and public awareness campaigns.
However, it noted that many of the roadmap’s recommendations have yet to be fully implemented, questioning the rationale for introducing a new prohibition policy before assessing the effectiveness of existing measures.
The association also criticised the absence of publicly available data on the impact of previous restrictions on single-use plastics, arguing that policy decisions should be based on evidence, measurable outcomes and stakeholder engagement.
Citing experiences from countries including Kenya, Bangladesh, South Africa and India, MAN said plastic bans have produced mixed results, including factory closures, job losses and the continued use of banned products through informal markets.
It noted that countries such as Germany, South Korea and the Netherlands have achieved better outcomes through investment in recycling infrastructure and Extended Producer Responsibility programmes.
According to the association, plastic pollution is primarily a waste management challenge rather than a production issue.
“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 therefore called on the Federal Government and NESREA to suspend the proposed ban pending a comprehensive Regulatory Impact Assessment, evaluate previous plastic restrictions, fully implement the 2024 Plastic Circularity Roadmap, strengthen the Extended Producer Responsibility framework and establish a broad stakeholder working group to develop an evidence-based transition strategy.
