Lagos Faces Job Crisis as State Plans Ban on Sachet Water and Single-Use Plastics

The already high unemployment rate in Lagos State is set to surge even further as the state government plans to ban the production and sale of single-use plastics and sachet water.

The ban, which will take effect in January 2025, was announced by the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, during a stakeholders’ workshop in Lagos.

At the workshop, aimed at raising awareness about the implementation of the new initiative, Wahab disclosed that the move aligns with the state’s plastic utility policy.

Investors King reported that in January 2024, the Lagos State government began taking bold steps toward effective plastic waste management and promoting a healthy, safe environment.

In that month, the government announced a ban on the use of Styrofoam across the state.

The ban, which came with strict enforcement, left many citizens and residents in the state complaining.

Speaking on behalf of the stakeholders, the Lagos Chairperson of the Association for Table Water Producers of Nigeria (ATWAP), Mosaku Ololade, emphasized the importance of implementing the ban in phases, noting that it would give members ample time for compliance.

He revealed that the union has been actively involved in sensitizing its members while engaging with the government on the way forward.

He said, “We have been engaging the Lagos State Government on the way forward and sensitizing our members on the planned ban.

“We want the government to continue engaging with us. We are a responsible association and are ready to work with the government.

“We have over 2,000 members in Lagos alone with over 10,000 workers.

“We hereby implore the government to implement the ban in phases to allow our members ample opportunity for compliance.”