By Dauda Abbas
Alarming research findings predict a bleak future for Nigerian waters, with more floating plastic than aquatic life within the next 50 years, unless immediate measures are taken to address the management and disposal of plastics.
These stark warnings were issued by scholars during a Circular Plastic Economy Innovation Hub Stakeholders Engagement Workshop held recently, at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU).
Dr. Adedapo Adediji, a researcher at the Pan African University Life and Earth Sciences Institute (PAULESI), emphasized that the burning of plastic contributes to air pollution, posing serious health hazards to humans.
He advocated for a more sustainable approach, stating, “In the next 50 years, there’ll be more floating plastic in the ocean than fishes, which would devastate our water bodies and pose a significant danger to the environment. Government alone cannot address this issue, which is why we are engaging stakeholders such as government representatives, academia, students, and industry professionals involved in plastic production.”
Adediji stressed the importance of engaging stakeholders to establish effective means of collecting and consolidating plastic waste to prevent haphazard disposal.
Dr. Olukunle Babaremi, another PAULESI researcher, highlighted the persistent nature of plastics, noting that plastics do not naturally degrade within a hundred years.
He expressed grave concern, saying, “By 2030, if we don’t act decisively, there will be more plastic in the ocean than aquatic life.”
Babaremi urged educational institutions to raise awareness among students about the global problem of plastic pollution and encourage responsible plastic disposal.
He proposed that ground plastic could be repurposed into horticultural and concrete containers for construction sites.
Additionally, Babaremi called upon bottling companies that profit from plastics to support responsible recycling and disposal of plastic materials. He urged the public to segregate waste at the source to facilitate collection by scavengers.
Babaremi also appealed to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) funded by international bodies, plastic companies, and private sector businesses to offer monetary incentives to scavengers who supply them with plastics.
The Vice-Chancellor of OAU, Prof. Simeon Bamire, encouraged scholars to develop innovative solutions that could transform plastic waste into a source of revenue while promoting cleaner communities.
He emphasized that sustainable cities and responsible consumption and production cannot be achieved without addressing plastic waste in the environment.
Plastic waste, often discarded on land, eventually finds its way into water bodies, disrupting aquatic ecosystems and posing risks to human health due to the consumption of microplastics.
Prof. Bamire applauded the university’s involvement in the circular plastic economy project as a valuable contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs) and a significant step toward mitigating the devastating effects of plastic pollution on the environment.
