Posted by LERE OJEDOKUN, Abuja on
GOVERNMENT yesterday approved a ban on the use of cellophane (nylon bags) for packaged water and other items.
GOVERNMENT yesterday approved a ban on the use of cellophane (nylon bags) for packaged water and other items.
The ban was one of the major highlights of the first National Environmental Sanitation Policy endorsed by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
The policy which targets were expected to be met between 2006 and 2010, has three components. These are the main policy, guidelines for implementation and action plan.
Minister of Environment, Col. Bala Mande (rtd) and his Information and National Orientation counterpart, Chief Chukwuemeka Chikelu briefed State House correspondents on the policy and other decisions at the weekly FEC meeting, chaired by President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Col. Mande spelt out details of the policy which include the enactment of relevant legislations this year, and institution of sanitary inspection of public places with 25 per cent coverage.
Col. Mande said polyethylene bags constituted one of the sources of bio-degradables which would be banned.
He, however, said an inter-ministerial committee has been put in place to look at viable and affordable substitute.
"Once we have that, it would be banned from use in Nigeria by the government," he stated.
The minister who noted that the current trend worldwide was waste-to-wealth, assured of government's interest in converting some of waste products to electricity, bio-organics, fertilizer and other uses.
Shedding light on the policy, Col. Mande said it would include the enactment of relevant legislature this year and institution of sanitary inspection of public places with 25 per cent coverage of the local government areas by next year.