Nigeria has taken a significant step toward tackling plastic pollution with the inauguration of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Child Project 11193, titled “Circular Solutions to Plastic Pollution in Abuja, Nigeria.”
The project was formally launched in Abuja and is being implemented by the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and other partners. It is designed to reduce plastic waste associated with single-use water sachets through circular economy approaches.
Speaking at the launch, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NESREA, Prof. Innocent Barikor, described the initiative as a critical intervention in Nigeria’s environmental sustainability efforts. He acknowledged that while sachet water has expanded access to potable water for millions of Nigerians, its widespread use has also contributed to severe plastic pollution, clogged drainage systems, flooding, ecosystem degradation and public health concerns.
NESREA disclosed that Nigeria consumes over 2.5 billion litres of sachet water annually, produced by more than 32,000 manufacturers nationwide. According to the agency, the scale of consumption highlights the urgency of adopting innovative and sustainable solutions that address plastic waste without undermining access to safe drinking water.
The GEF-supported project adopts a circular model that goes beyond conventional waste management. Its focus areas include strengthening policies and regulations on sustainable water packaging, promoting public-private partnerships, piloting reuse and refill systems for community water supply, increasing public awareness, and enhancing coordination and knowledge-sharing at national and global levels.
Meanwhile, the GEF reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Nigeria’s efforts to curb plastic pollution with the launch of the Nigeria Plastics Child Project, also known as “Circular Solutions to Plastic Pollution in Nigeria,” under the Plastic Reboot Nigeria initiative.
Speaking at the event, Senior Environmental Specialist at the GEF and Lead of the GEF-8 Plastics Integrated Programme, Ms. Evelyn Swain, commended NESREA for convening the launch and for its role as the national executing agency. She also praised UNEP for its partnership in advancing Nigeria’s transition to sustainable and circular plastic solutions.
Swain noted that the broad participation of government institutions, civil society organisations, the private sector, academia and development partners reflected a shared commitment to addressing plastic pollution through inclusive and coordinated action.
She explained that the Nigeria Plastics Child Project forms part of a broader GEF-8 investment under the Circular Solutions for Plastic Pollution Integrated Programme, one of eleven integrated programmes approved by the GEF in 2022. The approach, she said, targets the root causes of environmental degradation through systems-based interventions that deliver multiple global environmental benefits across climate change, biodiversity, chemicals and ocean protection.
The programme, led by UNEP in collaboration with partners including the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), focuses on transforming single-use plastics in the food and beverage sector. Swain stressed that unlike traditional waste management approaches, the initiative prioritises upstream and midstream solutions such as product design, innovative business models, supportive policies and market incentives.
According to her, Nigeria emerged from a competitive selection process in early 2023 due to its strong political commitment to reducing plastic pollution, ongoing efforts to track plastic flows and active engagement through the National Plastic Action Partnership.
Following its selection, Nigeria worked with UNEP to develop a project concept aligned with GEF priorities, including policy coherence, financial leverage, innovation and stakeholder engagement. Swain noted that although the global integrated programme was officially launched in Washington, DC in 2025 and strengthened at its first annual conference in Brazil, its success would ultimately be measured by results achieved at the country level.
She described Nigeria’s project as a strong example of how national “child projects” can drive the ambitions of the integrated programme. As implementation begins, Swain called for effective coordination within the global framework, deeper private sector involvement—particularly in transforming the sachet water industry—and a strong focus on scaling lessons learned.
She added that the GEF views Nigeria not only as a beneficiary of the Plastic Reboot initiative but also as a potential leader whose actions could help shape global responses to plastic pollution while safeguarding access to safe drinking water.
The Nigeria Plastics Child Project is expected to play a key role in reducing reliance on single-use plastic water sachets and advancing circular economy solutions across the country.
