The Ekiti State Government has revealed plans to ban single-use plastics (SUPs) in the State to address environmental concerns, including flooding and plastic pollution.
Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Mr Adeoye Aribasoye made this known during a pre-legislative stakeholders engagement workshop on plastic pollution in the state.
Recall that the Lagos State Government had said it will commence full enforcement of the ban on Single Use Plastics (SUPs) from July 1, 2025, just like with the successful enforcement of the styrofoam ban.
Speaking on the ban in Ekiti State at the workshop organised by the Triple Green Environmental Development, TGED Foundation in partnership with the Assembly’s committee on Environment, Mr Aribasoye revealed that the bill has scaled first reading.
The Ekiti Speaker pledged that there would be accelerated hearing of the bill for the Governor’s assent, hoping that it would help rid the state of pollution caused by indiscriminate disposal of plastics.
The Chief Executive Officer, TGED Foundation, Seyi Ebenezer said the stakeholders forum themed: ‘Towards a Plastic-Free Ekiti Building Consensus for Legislative Action’ became imperative because of the risk plastic use poses to the environment.
She used the medium to encourage all stakeholders to preach against single use of plastic in their communities by adopting alternative use of disposing their waste.
The keynote speaker, Mrs Iyabode Fakunle-Okeimen, Chairman, House Committee on Environment, stressing the importance of banning single-use plastics in the state.
The guest speaker from Ekiti State University, Prof. Wole Adebayo in his presentation tilted “Understanding the Impact of Plastic Pollution Environmental, Health and Economic Consequences “ harped on more awareness and sensitisation of single-use plastic and the danger it poses to the health.
He also said that used plastics can be converted into wealth by purchasing these products and recycling them into a refined product.
In their goodwill message, the Director-General of Ekiti State Tourism Board, Mr Wale Ojo-Lanre harped on the danger the single-use pose to human health such as terminal illness, expressing support for the banning of single-use in the state.
Stakeholders at the workshop included market women, artisans, hoteliers, plastics manufacturers, students, environmentalists among others.
The stakeholders noted the need for proper ways of disposing used plastics into the right channels and not on the streets to clog the drains, leading to flooding.
The stakeholders also used the medium to urge the government to turn plastics into wealth by buying them from the people thereby reducing the plastics on the streets and protecting the environment.
