Janet Ogundepo
The Nigerian National Plastic Action Partnership has announced plans to convene the National Plastic Summit 2026, as stakeholders seek practical solutions to Nigeria’s growing plastic pollution challenge and to develop a circular plastics economy.
The summit, scheduled for June 4, 2026, will be held under the theme “Innovation, Inclusion and Investment for a Circular Plastics Economy in Africa.”
In a statement sent to Punch Healthwise, the organisers noted that the event will bring together government leaders, industry stakeholders, development partners, financiers, researchers, youth groups and informal sector actors to advance sustainable solutions to plastic waste management across Africa.
The summit will be convened by the Nigeria National Plastic Action Partnership and hosted by the Policy Innovation Centre in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Environment, with strategic support from the Global Plastic Action Partnership hosted by the World Economic Forum.
Speaking on the objectives of the summit, the Executive Director of the Policy Innovation Centre, Dr Osasuyi Dirisu, said the gathering would focus on advancing circularity as an economic and industrial opportunity, strengthening policy implementation and financing mechanisms, and promoting an inclusive transition that integrates informal sector actors into formal circular systems.
She added that the summit would also serve as a regional platform for African National Plastic Action Partnerships and government focal points to strengthen collaboration, share implementation progress and align investment priorities.
“The Summit will also serve as a regional platform for African NPAPs and government focal points to strengthen collaboration, share implementation progress, and align investment priorities,” Dirisu stated.
The statement noted that plastic remains an essential material in modern economies but continues to pose significant environmental challenges across the continent.
PIC disclosed that Africa generates an estimated 18 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, much of which is lost due to weak collection systems, inadequate recycling infrastructure and fragmented policy implementation.
It further stated that Nigeria, as Africa’s largest economy, is strategically positioned to play a leading role in building a more circular and inclusive plastics value chain.
Also speaking, the Specialist, Plastic Value Chains and Policy at the Global Plastic Action Partnership of the World Economic Forum, Rajat Rai Handa, said the summit comes at a critical period when countries are shifting from commitments to implementation.
He noted that governments and stakeholders were increasingly seeking stronger alignment between policy ambitions, investment and innovation to address plastic pollution at scale.
“The National Plastic Summit comes at a critical time, as countries move from commitments to implementation and seek stronger alignment between policy ambition, investment and innovation at scale,” Handa said.
He described the summit as an action-oriented platform designed to connect policy, investment and innovation to accelerate system-wide change.
In her remarks, the Director of the Department of Pollution Control and Environmental Health at the Federal Ministry of Environment, Bahijjatu Abubakar, urged stakeholders to develop innovative solutions and plastic action plans capable of driving Nigeria’s circular economy and contributing significantly to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.
She expressed optimism that the summit would strengthen coordination across sectors and support the development of scalable solutions that promote investment, innovation and inclusion within the circular plastics economy.
The National Plastic Action Partnership is a multi-stakeholder platform focused on advancing sustainable and systemic solutions to plastic pollution in Nigeria, while the Global Plastic Action Partnership, established by the World Economic Forum in 2018, works with governments, businesses and civil society organisations through national partnerships to accelerate progress towards a circular economy.
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