By Our Correspondent
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in collaboration with the Coca Cola Foundation, has announced the launch of the Nigeria Plastic Solutions Activity (NPSA).
The initiative was funded equally by USAID and Coca-Cola Foundation with a combined of $4 million. NPSA is purposely introduced to tackle critical challenges confronting plastic waste mangement in the country through innovative recycling solutions.
In her remars during the launch of NPSA in Lagos, USAID Mission Director in Nigeria, Melissa Jones, noted that in addition to improving the environment, plastic collection, sorting, aggregating, processing and manufacturing offers employment opportunities.
In his own remark during the launch, the US Consul General, Will Stevens, expressed the US Government’s commitment to the new project noting that small and medium scale enterprises including those who are on entry level and semi-skilled workers stand to benefit from the newly introduce value chain.
He said, ”By incentivizing recycling as a means of averting plastic solution, we protect the planet, create jobs, empower youth and other marginalized groups, and foster sustainable development. We must persist in collaborating, innovating, and implenting solutions to address this urgent issue.
”Together, we can build a futurewhere plastics are no longer a threat to our planet but a valuable resource manged responsibly and utilized for the benefit of futuregenerations. ”
The President of the Coca-Cola Foundation, Saadia Madsbjerg, noted that the foundation placed priority on helping communities in becoming more sustainable by supporting innovative collection and recyling solutions at a local level.
Saadia said, ”We hope this new programme in Nigeria serves as a catalyst to drive increased collection and recycling rates as we collectively work towrds a more sustainable society, one community at a time.”
Delivering the keynote address during the event, Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, explained that the policy and advocacy efforts present a paradigm shift on plastic waste in the country.
”We can no longer view it as a disposable commodity, rather, it must be regarded as resource demanding responsible stewardship. We cannot shy away from the responsibility; we must confront it head-on with resolve and determination,” the commissioner highlighted.
NatureNews can report that the lauch of NPSA mark a significant milestone in collective efforts to combat plastic pollution in Nigeria and promote sustainable development across the country. It would be implemented by a global non-profit organisation, TechnoServe.
The partnership underscores USAID and the Coca-Cola Foundation’s commitment to drive positive change and build a more resilient and environmentally concious society in Nigeria.
