Osayomwanbo Osarenotor

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

Abstract Title:

Socioeconomic Impacts and Stakeholder Compliance with the Single-Use Plastics Ban in Lagos State, Nigeria

Biography:

Dr. Osarenotor completed his PhD. in Environmental Sanitation and Waste Management from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. He is a senior lecturer in the University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria. Dr. Osarenotor is also the pioneer and current head of the waste management programme in the University of Benin, where he is helping to establish a plastic waste recycling plant as well as an organic waste composting facility. He has published more than 20 papers in the areas of waste management, sanitation and water quality management.

Research Interests:

Single-use plastic has been reported to block urban water drainage facilities in Lagos State, which has led to a regulatory ban. This study evaluated policy awareness, compliance behaviour, economic impacts, and policy challenges across the state. All the respondents in this study were selected by a multistage stratified sampling process in 20 local government areas (Lagos West 67.4%, Lagos East 18.4%, Lagos Central 14.2%), with a total sample size of 430. The number of respondents in the 20 LGAs included in the study was determined using multistage stratified sampling, with a total sample size (N = 430): Lagos West 67.4%, Lagos East 18.4%, and Lagos Central 14.2%. In terms of principal occupations, the respondents were commercial operators (56.0%, n = 241) and general consumers (44.0%, n = 189). Chi square (χ²) tests and multivariable binary logistic regression were used to analyse the data. Policy awareness was 72.6%, among whom 52.4% endorsed the ban. Routine daily use (daily use and more than once a day) decreased significantly from 71.6% (n = 308) prior to the ban to 0.5% (n = 2) following the ban. However, 70.2% (n = 302) of the respondents did not make the switch to eco-friendly options. Among these non-adopters, 81.5% (n = 246) reported high costs as a barrier to the transition, and 67.9% (n = 205) reported that limited availability was a barrier to the transition. There is a need to move toward creating incentives on the supply side and standardised monitoring in the execution of policies.