Context
Nigeria ranks among the top ten global plastic waste polluters, facing a critical environmental crisis. Annually, the country generates an estimated 32 million metric tons of waste, with plastic constituting a substantial portion at 2.5 million metric tons. The inadequate management of this plastic waste presents severe risks to the environment, public health, and ecosystems, calling for urgent and sustainable interventions.
Opportunity
The Nigeria Plastic Solutions Activity is seizing the unique opportunity to transform the country’s plastic waste management landscape. By addressing the critical issue of plastic pollution, the initiative aims to reduce environmental and health risks and unlock economic potential for vulnerable communities. Through sustainable waste management practices, communities can benefit from new job opportunities and increased incomes. The focus on enhancing the capacity of collectors, aggregators, and recyclers will drive economic growth, foster innovation in the recycling sector, and contribute to a circular economy. Ultimately, this initiative seeks to create a cleaner environment and build a more resilient and sustainable future for Nigeria.
The strategy
The Nigeria Plastic Solutions Activity runs from 2023 until 2025 and focuses on driving the transition towards a circular economy in Nigeria’s plastic recycling sector. By promoting sustainable practices and innovative solutions, the project seeks to minimize waste generation, enhance resource efficiency, and contribute to a cleaner and healthier Nigeria.
The program works in Lagos and Anambra, regions identified as major contributors to plastic waste, ensuring that interventions are tailored to the specific challenges and opportunities of each area. It engages micro, small, and medium-sized businesses and the broader entrepreneurship ecosystem to drive lasting change in the plastics recycling sector. By enhancing technical skills, improving access to finance, equipment, land, and energy supply, and fostering better networks among market actors to implement inclusive business practices, NPSA will support the development of an inclusive recycling value chain.
The project has entered into an agreement with the Anambra State Operations Coordinating Unit of the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO), responsible for the social register in Nigeria. This partnership aims to provide employment opportunities for registered unemployed youth and women within the plastic waste management sector. By leveraging the social register, the initiative seeks to address unemployment while contributing to sustainable waste management practices.
Anticipated Results
The initiative seeks to strengthen the capacity of approximately 9,500 collectors, 24 aggregators, and 10 recyclers to recover and recycle 49,000 metric tons of plastic waste. The Nigeria Plastic Solutions Activity focuses on engaging local stakeholders, including informal waste collectors, aggregators, recyclers associations, manufacturers and buyers, government agencies, and monetary financial institutions (MFIs), to reduce plastic waste. It aims to create 10,000 new or improved employment opportunities in the plastics recycling sector and generate USD 4.8 million in increased incomes.
Partners
Funder: USAID; Coca-Cola Foundation
