Lagos government urges residents to embrace innovative alternatives to tackle plastic pollution

Monday, November 3, 2025 - Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has called on residents to take responsibility for reducing plastic waste and to embrace innovative and sustainable alternatives.

He made the call through the Special Adviser on Environment and Water Resources, Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, at the 19th Annual Walk for Nature event held at the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos.

According to a Sunday statement issued by the spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment, Kunle Adeshina, the governor described the event’s theme, “Lagos, Let’s Beat Plastic Pollution,” as timely, noting that it speaks directly to one of the most pressing environmental challenges of the modern era, which is the improper disposal of plastic waste.

The Lagos State Government had, on July 1, 2025, begun a full-scale enforcement of the plastic ban in the state, stressing that the move aims to safeguard the environment.

Sanwo-Olu emphasized that tackling plastic pollution is crucial to building a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient Lagos, aligning with the state’s T.H.E.M.E.S Plus Agenda, which prioritises environmental sustainability and inclusive growth.

“Across the world, plastic pollution has become a silent crisis that clogs the drains, pollutes the waterways, threatens marine life, and undermines the collective quest for a sustainable future,” he said

The governor noted that Nigeria generates about 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, with Lagos accounting for approximately 870,000 tonnes—less than 12 per cent of which is recycled.

Sanwo-Olu urged residents to adopt collective responsibility, behavioural change, and conscious environmental stewardship, stressing that the fight against plastic pollution must begin with individual action.

The Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Dr. Tajudeen Gaji, noted that for nearly two decades, the Walk For Nature had served as a rallying point for raising environmental awareness and promoting conservation for sustainable living.

Gaji was represented by Mahamood Adegbite of the Office of Drainage Services.

Earlier, the National Executive Council Chairman of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, Justice Raliatu Adebiyi, urged everyone to become conservationists by planting trees and teaching others about sustainability.