ECOWAS@50: Uniting for a Plastic-Free Future – Nigeria Leads World Environment Day 2025 Campaign.
By Raymond Enoch
In a landmark show of environmental leadership and regional solidarity, Nigeria has taken center stage in the global push to end plastic pollution, leading the World Environment Day 2025 (WED2025) campaign across the ECOWAS region. As the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) celebrates its 50th anniversary, this year’s WED theme—“Ending Plastic Pollution, Our Land Our Future”—resonates with unprecedented urgency and purpose.
Spearheaded by Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Environment in partnership with UNEP and civil society actors, the WED2025 campaign is gaining momentum through a dynamic blend of policy engagement, grassroots mobilization, and regional collaboration. The initiative underscores the ECOWAS bloc’s growing commitment to environmental sustainability at a time when the scourge of plastic waste threatens ecosystems, human health, and economic resilience across West Africa.
At the heart of the campaign is a powerful call to action: for governments, businesses, and citizens to transition away from single-use plastics, adopt circular economy practices, and build climate-resilient communities. Events and activations are planned throughout ECOWAS member states, with Nigeria hosting the flagship observance on June 5th.
According to Salett Nogueira, an environmental advocate and communications strategist helping drive WED2025 engagement in the region, “This is more than a commemoration—it’s a movement. We’re leveraging the 50th anniversary of ECOWAS to remind ourselves that regional unity can also mean environmental unity.”
With over 350 million people across ECOWAS states, the campaign’s reach has the potential to reshape attitudes, influence policy, and inspire innovation in plastic alternatives. Already, countries like Ghana, Senegal, and Côte d’Ivoire are rolling out initiatives aligned with WED2025 goals, including nationwide clean-ups, school outreach programs, and youth-led recycling projects.
As Nigeria leads this charge, the nation positions itself not only as a regional powerhouse but as a global voice in the fight against plastic pollution. WED2025 serves as both a wake-up call and a rallying cry—uniting West Africa in a shared vision of a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future.
