The Director General of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Prof. Innocent Barikor, has reaffirmed that the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programme mandates producers to adopt circular economy principles by designing products and packaging for recycling and reuse.
Speaking during NESREA Half Hour, a radio programme hosted in collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Corps on National Traffic Radio 107.1 FM, Abuja, Barikor—represented by Assistant Director of Plastics, Engr. Chukwudi Nwabuisiaku—emphasized that producers must now factor in the end-of-life stage of their products.
“In a circular economy, products and packaging must be designed to last and be recoverable through recycling, reuse, repurposing, or upcycling,” he said. “Producers must take responsibility beyond the point of sale, ensuring their products do not end up as waste but return to the production cycle.”
Barikor noted that all producers are required to register with the appropriate Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) within their sector. He added that Nigeria already has functioning PROs in the food and beverage, battery, electrical and electronics, and tyre sectors.
To enhance implementation, he revealed that NESREA is collaborating with a Fintech company to formalize downstream value chain operators. This initiative will ensure that waste pickers and collectors receive proper training and incentives from the PROs, further strengthening the circular economy model in the country.
