Analysis of barriers and success factors affecting the adoption of sustainable management of municipal solid waste in Nigeria

The poor state of solid waste management in cities of developing countries is fast assuming the scale of a major social/environmental challenge. The main drivers of the waste problem in Nigeria, for instance, are poverty, high population and urbanization growth rates, compounded by a weak and underfunded infrastructure. The gravity of this problem is perhaps best reflected in the level of attention given to it in the United Nations Millennium Declaration in September, 2000. Three of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the Declaration have waste or resource efficiency implications. In response to the waste challenge many developed countries have embarked upon ambitious environmental reforms, recording remarkable advances in best practises and sustainable management of their Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). The same cannot be said for most countries in Sub-Sahara Africa, however, as a result of several barriers militating against sustainable MSW management. Adopting a questionnaire interview methodology, this study surveyed 1557 respondents’ drawn from households, business and waste policy-makers in Abuja, Nigeria. Data analysis was carried out using the Statistical Programme for Social Sciences, (SPSS). Multivariate statistical analysis was used to carry out a between subjects multiple comparison of respondents views on the barriers as well as success factors affecting MSW management in the case study area. Findings point towards the need for a sustained public education programme on waste prevention and reuse as the panacea to waste problems in Nigeria. Based on the findings, a case is made for the adaptation of globally successful waste management best practises and strategies to suit local conditions. ► We used quantitative methods to analyse factors affecting MSW management in Abuja. ► We found low levels of public education on MSW as the most important barrier. ► The least important barrier is the character of waste samples. ► We found that MSW management could drive wealth creation and poverty reduction. ► A sustained public education programme on waste prevention and reuse is proposed.