Environmental experts have warned that poor waste disposal practices are significantly increasing flood risks in communities across Nigeria, particularly in Ogun State. Speaking at a one-day workshop in Abeokuta on Thursday, organised by the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) in collaboration with ACCAPPOCCO Global Services Nigeria Ltd, the experts linked blocked drainage systems and river channels to the indiscriminate dumping of plastics and other waste. Lanre Jimoh, NESREA's Ogun State Coordinator, stressed the need for strict enforcement of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), explaining that it holds producers accountable from production through to waste disposal. He urged industries to adopt eco-friendly packaging, design reusable and recyclable products, and reduce hazardous materials in manufacturing.
Prof. Adewale Taiwo of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), highlighted that fossil fuel combustion releases carbon dioxide, contributing to climate change and extreme weather patterns, including excessive rainfall and flooding. He advocated a shift to low-carbon energy sources such as solar, wind and biogas. Prof. John Oyedepo, also from FUNAAB, called for Nigeria to adopt a green and circular economy, citing Rwanda's ban on polythene plastics as a model worth considering. Mr Opone Valentine, Managing Director of ACCAPPOCCO Global Services, said embracing circular economy principles could reduce diseases like cancer by curbing open burning and uncontrolled industrial emissions.
Lanre Jimoh demands strict EPR enforcement while industries in Ogun State continue operating without public accountability for waste output. If producers are not currently held responsible, then the policy framework exists only on paper. Residents dumping waste in drains are only one part of the problem when industrial actors face no visible consequences. The same flooding will persist regardless of public behaviour if enforcement remains selective.
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