Environmental organizations, including the Human and Environmental Development Agenda, in partnership with OXFAM and PACJA, are urging the Nigerian government to impose a ban on the domestic use of styrofoam and polythene bags.

These organizations emphasize the devastating impact of these materials on the country’s flora and fauna.

At a one-day sensitization program held in the Ajibode community in Akinyele local government area, Ibadan on Wednesday, the Executive Secretary of HEDA stressed the importance of this call to reduce the risk of terminal illnesses, including cancer-related diseases.

He urged the National Assembly to enact legislation through an executive bill to address this issue.

Sulaimon Arigbabu, speaking on behalf of the organizations, emphasized the need for a nationwide ban on styrofoam and polythene bags, which have become a significant nuisance in Nigeria.

He highlighted the excessive use of these materials in everyday life, such as using styrofoam plates for meals and the common practice of collecting plastic bags, known as “nylon” in Nigeria, for various purchases.

Arigbabu stated, “It has become our norm nowadays. You see somebody goes to the nearest shop to buy N50 biscuits, the person has even started eating that biscuit, he or she will still ask for nylon. We collect nylon for everything we buy even a N20 sweet, and these people producing the nylon have every possible size.”

He continued, “Anything we want to eat, we collect nylon and we indiscriminately discard this nylon, and it becomes a nuisance in our drainage, on our farm, and pollutes our farmlands. So, we appeal to the government to ban the items in this country.”

In addition to advocating for the ban, Arigbabu called on the government to improve the waste management system.

He stressed the need to discontinue the production and sale of items that do not contribute meaningfully to society.

The environmental organizations also called on religious institutions, various associations, and trade associations to educate their members on the importance of reducing the use of polythene bags, as their irresponsible disposal affects both drainage systems and farmlands.