Lagos Urges Circular Economy Adoption Amid Rising Plastic Pollution Risks
Korede Abdullah 
Director of Sanitation Services, Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Dr. Hassan Sanuth
LAGOS, Nigeria – The Lagos State Government urges residents to embrace a circular economy model as officials warn that plastic pollution increasingly threatens public health, drainage systems, and environmental sustainability.
The call comes during an awareness seminar organised in Lagos under a project supported by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, as authorities intensify efforts to reduce plastic waste across Africa’s largest city.
Speaking at the event on Friday, the Director of Sanitation Services at the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Dr Hassan Sanuth, says the circular economy offers both environmental protection and economic opportunities.
“This programme creates awareness on effective waste management, particularly using the circular economy as a tool. It generates income opportunities for residents while helping the government achieve sanitation and environmental protection goals,” Sanuth says.
He warns that plastics pose serious health risks when exposed to heat or degradation, releasing chemicals linked to cancer and other illnesses.
“Most people do not even know the temperatures at which these materials become harmful or the risks they are exposed to,” he adds.
Sanuth also links poor plastic disposal to blocked drainage channels and flooding, urging residents to comply with waste management regulations.
Meanwhile, the Director of Partnerships, Grant Management and Innovation at the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, Mrs Olabisi Shonibare, says enforcement against banned single-use plastics has intensified.
“The law is the law. Nobody is above it. Where there is contravention, there are repercussions,” she says.
UNIDO Project Field Coordinator, Charles Uzoma, notes that plastic consumption in Nigeria continues to outpace recycling capacity, but says Lagos holds strong potential for circular economy-driven solutions.
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