The United Kingdom (UK) has underscored the need for the Federal Government to provide incentives to reduce plastic pollution, to protect the environment.
Richard Montgomery, British High Commissioner to Nigeria and UK Permanent Representative to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), said this at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum, in Abuja.
Montgomery, who was a guest at the flagship interview platform, spoke against the backdrop of the best approach to achieve a safer environment and climate following the World Environmental Day celebrated on June 5 annually.
He described plastics as the largest, most harmful and persistent fraction of marine litter that accounts for at least 85 per cent of total marine waste.
He decried environmental pollution to be caused by plastics and urged the government to intervene, saying plastic pollution could be reduced by use of recyclable plastics as much as possible.
“I mentioned the individual things we can do but there is a strategic level, the government needs to set incentives that discourage the use of plastics.
“We need to provide incentives for businesses across the world so that they are not using so many plastics.
“I think that there is a Nigerian action against plastics partnership which the UK has some involvement in.
“There is a large board and we are sitting on that, and I will be looking at what more we will be doing to support a key element in improving the environment, reducing pollution.
“These have a big impact on people’s health, especially children. Going forward, I feel the citizens will wake up to these issues.”
The envoy expressed concern about the plastic pollution in the environment, saying measures need to be taken to proffer lasting solutions.
According to him, if people were to deal with the plastic problems based on small actions by individuals, by families and big business, they would add up.
“In the UK, we used to use plastic bags in shops but they are almost totally banned with other degradable products being used.
“So, we have reduced our plastic bag use tremendously in the UK and we are just about to end plastic cutleries and plates.
“We used 2.8 billion of those items a year and I read somewhere that if you put all the knives and forks made by plastic used in the UK over the last year, it would go round the world several times.
“What the research is saying is that plastic is turning in our waters, it is turning in the food we eat and that is because plastic breaks up into small pieces.
“You cannot really see it with your eyes but it is still there and we are beginning to eat it. So, that is a real concern,” he said.
Prior to becoming the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Montgomery was the UK Executive Director at the World Bank Group Board from 2018 to 2022 in Washington DC, USA.
He held various senior positions in the Department for International Development (DFID) including Director for Asia, Caribbean and Overseas Territories Division, Country Director for Pakistan, and prior to that, Country Director in Nigeria from 2009 to 2013.
Montgomery took over from Ms Catriona Laing, who recently concluded four years as High Commissioner in Abuja.