Plastic bags dumped by the roadside blight the landscape in many placesImage caption: Plastic bags dumped by the roadside blight the landscape in many places The war against the plastic bag in Africa continues, with Nigeria now mulling severe penalties for those who sell them. On Tuesday, members of the country's lower house of parliament passed a bill banning their use and anyone found selling, manufacturing or carrying them could face fines of up to $13,000 (£10,000) or prison sentences of up to three years. The bill, which has already been passed by the upper house, prohibits the use, manufacture and importation of plastic bags for commercial and household packaging. It now needs to be sent to President Muhammadu Buhari to become law. Several other African countries have outlawed plastic carrier bags, including Kenya, Rwanda, Mauritania and Eritrea.