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AASCIT Journal of Environment
2017; 2(4): 43-47
http://www.aascit.org/journal/environment
ISSN: 2381-1331 (Print); ISSN: 2381-134X (Online)
Keywords Waste Management,
Abakaliki Metropolis,
Biodegradable,
Non-biodegradable
Received: July 2, 2017
Accepted: July 24, 2017
Published: August 25, 2017
Institutional Waste Management and Disposal in Abakaliki Metropolis, Ebonyi State, Nigeria
Patrick Akata Nwofe
Division of Materials Science and Renewable Energy, Department of Industrial Physics, Ebonyi
State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria
Email address patricknwofe@gmail.com
Citation Patrick Akata Nwofe. Institutional Waste Management and Disposal in Abakaliki Metropolis,
Ebonyi State, Nigeria. AASCIT Journal of Environment. Vol. 2, No. 4, 2017, pp. 43-47.
Abstract The study reports on the waste management and disposal methods in some selected
academic and economic institutions in Abakaliki metropolis, Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Two
primary schools and Two secondary schools (one government-owned and one private-
owned for both primary and secondary), and Ebonyi State University (PRESCO
Campus), all located within Abakaliki metropolis were selected for the study. The two
major markets (Abakpa main market and Kpiri-Kpiri market) in Abakaliki metropolis
were also used for the investigation. The research was conducted for 10 months (May
2016 to February 2017). Field survey approach was utilised in the study and
questionnaires were also administered to the unit heads in charge of waste management
in the respective institutions. The results shows that the average waste generated per day
varied in the respective institutions. The wastes were collected, sorted, weighed and
classified according to their components and were observed to be heterogeneous in
nature, comprising of bio-degradable and the non-biodegradable materials. A significant
portion of e-wastes and infectious waste were also recorded with high volume of non-
biodegradable in most cases. The findings highlighted the need for alternative waste
management solutions that will enhance sustainable and safe environment, and also for
Government to embark on waste-to-energy investment as a way of creating jobs, increase
revenue, and reduce energy scarcity in the study area.
1. Introduction
Waste management is paramount to achieving a healthy and sustainable environment.
Wastes are unwanted or discarded materials that emanate from natural and artificial
sources. The natural sources could be from dead wild animals, and leaves from trees
arising from transpiration effects while the artificial waste resources includes but not
limited to: household refuse, garbage, rubbish, street refuse, ashes, demolition debris,
construction refuse, junk automobile, old furniture, and wastes from; slaughter houses,
schools, manufacturing plants, hospitals, agricultural, markets, e.t.c. Management of
waste requires careful approach and planning in the mode of collection, storage,
transportation, processing, treatment and its final disposal so that it will not lead to
negative consequences such as in environmental degradation, health issues and emission
of harmful gases into the atmosphere to mention but few. In most developing countries,
sustainable waste management systems are hardly in practice either due to poverty,
illiteracy, lack of awareness, Government insensitivity, lack of waste management data,
lack of credible policy on sustainable waste management, lack of advanced technological
skills, lack of trained manpower in waste management, and other associated issues. It is
44 Patrick Akata Nwofe: Institutional Waste Management and Disposal in Abakaliki Metropolis, Ebonyi State, Nigeria
generally common in most developing countries that people
are not aware of the need to preserve their environment
through careful management of waste or by adopting more
civilised approaches to other human activities that could lead
to a safe and sustainable environment.
Research done by Afon and co-workers [1] noted that the
major limiting capacity to develop effective waste
management systems in most African cities is due to little
documentation of the quantity and composition of wastes
generated. This is relatively the case for the selected study
area. Our previous work on waste management practices in
Ebonyi State [2-4] and by other research groups [5-6] are not
comprehensive such that there are a number of gaps and
serious shortages of hard data and statistical information
about the waste management situation in the Abakaliki
metropolis. Currently, little is known in the study location
about the composition, the quantity and quality of wastes
generated from public and private institutions, household and
non-households (commercial and industrial premises) or per
capita generation of solid waste. In Abakaliki metropolis,
heaps of municipal solid wastes are randomly scattered at
almost every street and in the premises of most public
buildings (see Figures 1 to 6). This not only distorts the
aesthetic view of the city but also constitute very serious
potential threat to human health, environment and to
increased green house gases (GHGs) and subsequently
climate change. The major aims of the study were to: (i)
carry out a practical field survey of the solid waste generation
profile of the selected institutions (ii) assess the generation
and management of solid wastes in those selected institutions
in order to gain insights into existing waste management
procedures, so as to establish a sustainable framework for
institutional policy improvement and waste management (iii)
to characterise the wastes by weight and by volume in order
to determine the bulk density.
In this study, a practical survey and documentation of daily
waste quantities and their composition from the selected
study areas has been undertaken and the implications of the
findings on solid waste management planning for sustainable
growth and development in the affected institutions, on the
environment and regions/institutions with similar features are
presented.
2. Materials and Methods
Physical inspection, extensive literature search,
administering of questionnaire, interview and personal
observation were employed. Questionnaires were administered,
covering the major streets in Abakaliki metropolis, heads of
units in the respective institutions, and in the markets.
Specifically, the objective was to carry out a practical survey
and to document for future research purpose and for use as
fundamental tools for Government planning on environmental
related issues. Daily waste quantities and their composition
from a range of selected properties/premises; 4 schools (2
primary and 2 secondary), 2 markets (Kpriri kpiri and Abakpa),
over a period of 10 months were investigated and analysed.
Abakaliki metropolis (see Figure 1) is the capital city of
Ebonyi State. Ebonyi State and is located at longitude 6°25/N
and latitude 8°08/E (www.distancefrom.com/ng/Ebonyi-State).
Figure 1. Map of Nigeria indicating Ebonyi State. (www.ebonyionline.com).
In this study, the Relative Satisfaction Indices (RSI) of
respondents with respect to the waste management practices
of the selected institutions was used for the analysis.
According to the literature [7], RSI gives a representation of
the aggregate of the respondent’s rating expressed as a
percentage of the aggregate of the respondents judgment on
the study in question. Accordingly, the RSI is given as [7];
100
1i
NefRSI
E= × (1)
In equation 1, N is the number of rating criteria, ef, is the
number of functions, Ei, is the maximum score of a function
across the rating criteria while RSI, is the relative satisfaction
index of the respondents.
3. Results and Discussion
3.1. Physical Composition of the Municipal
Solid Waste in the Study Area
Physical observation of the waste in the study area
indicates that the generation and composition of the solid
wastes in the respective institutions are not homogeneous and
are typical indicators to the nature and characteristics of the
activities in the institution. In general, the wastes from the
academic and economic institutions are more closely related
in composition. The composition of the wastes from the
AASCIT Journal of Environment 2017; 2(4): 43-47 45
schools are mostly paper, plastics, putrescible materials (food
remnants, leaves, worn out clothes etc), demolition debris,
plastics, fines, etc. The composition of the wastes from the
market is more complex and comprises; food remnants,
human and animal excreta, paper/cartons, decayed food
materials, textile materials, dead animals, burnt out tyres (at
the roasting ground in the market abattoir), liquid effluent
from slaughter house, bones, e-wastes, plastics, glass, metals,
saw-dust, construction and demolishing debris, and cassava
mill effluent. Figure 2 gives the physical composition of the
wastes in the selected institutions. The results show that the
composition of the waste vary according to the activities,
nature of operation, population dynamics, season of the year
and on some particular week day i.e days in which the market
is held (this peculiar to Kpiri Kpiri market). The research
finding is in agreement with the reports of other authors [8-
12]. Figure 3 gives a picture of a typical waste hill at Kpiri
Kpiri Market.
Figure 2. Physical composition of solid wastes in the study area.
Figure 3. Picture of a waste hill at Kpiri Kpiri market in Abakaliki
Metropolis.
Figure 3 also depicts a typical nature of the predominant
activity of the people that patronise the markets in that Kpiri
Kpiri markets serves both the urban and the rural dwellers
where subsistence farming is the major occupation hence the
presence of baskets and other local items in the debris.
3.2. Recycling
One of the oldest and commonest methods of sustainable
waste management is recycling. It is the act of re-using an
already discarded material or changing of waste materials to
new products hence its numerous advantages include;
reduced raw materials needs, less energy usage, reduced air,
water and environmental pollution, and reduced greenhouse
gas emission. There is need for an awareness programme in
the study area, to ensure that people understands the immense
benefits of recycling. Result from the survey show that at
PRESCO campus, used answer scripts are normally stored
for some period of years (normally six years) before
disposing them off. Such used scripts are then packaged in
large bags and sent off to paper companies/EBSU printing
press for recycling. Figure 4 gives a typical picture of bags of
used answer scripts at the bay, for final collection to the
recycling point. However, reasonable quantity of paper
wastes emanates from class work and assignments and are
not managed in a sustainable manner in the primary and
secondary schools. In all the schools investigated, it was
observed that the headmasters/headmistresses and the
principals were all ignorant on the need to store waste papers
so that it can be utilised in a sustainable manner. Some
argued that Government has not provided the necessary
facilities that will enable such service to be in place hence all
waste materials are easily burnt off. Figure 5 gives a picture
of waste heaps of such used materials. The vast heaps of
papers and other materials (see Figure 6) that are only
reduced through open burning can be put to better use by
feeding the waste papers back in the paper production chain
through recycling. This will reduce the vast depletion of trees
and other raw materials cost, thus preserving the environment
and reducing green house gases that do emanate from open
burning of these paper wastes. In the literature, other research
groups have reported on the similar trend in Nigeria [13-16].
Figure 4. Picture of bags of old question paper at PRESCO Campus, EBSU.
46 Patrick Akata Nwofe: Institutional Waste Management and Disposal in Abakaliki Metropolis, Ebonyi State, Nigeria
Figure 5. Picture of waste paper heaps at PRESCO Secondary School.
Figure 6. Picture of waste paper heaps reduced by open burning.
3.3. Recommendations
Abakaliki meteropolis has witnessed a relative change in
improved waste management since inception of the new
administration led by the executive Governor of Ebonyi
State, His Excellency, Engr David Nweze Umahi. Despite
that the level of awareness of waste collection services and
waste management regulations were relatively high in
Abakaliki currently, the percentage of those who used other
indiscriminate solid waste disposal methods like open
dumping, open burning, and dumping in drainages in the
respective institutions investigated in the study were quite
high. The survey show that ignorance on the negative
consequences of indiscriminate waste disposal, educational
status, age, gender, cost of waste collection services location
of residence, and lack of enlightenment campaign by relevant
Government parastatals, among others, were factors
influencing solid waste management in the study area.
Another significant factor of interest is on the need for
Government to adopt the waste to energy initiative as an
alternative to creating energy availability and sustainability in
the study area. Such venture will not only create renewable
energy, but will help to make the environment safer, create
jobs, and also increase the revenue base of Ebonyi State of
Nigeria. Moreover, environmental education should be
inculcated in the primary and secondary school curricula as
way of imbibing the need to create a sustainable and safe
environment in the minds of the young generation at early
stage. This will add significantly to reduce the general
attitude of indiscriminate waste disposal including open
space defecation and urination that are commonly found in
developing nations.
4. Conclusions
Waste management practices in some selected
educational and economic institutions in Abakaliki
metropolis, Ebonyi State, Nigeria has been investigated
using relevant research method. The results indicate that
Nigeria has a long way to go in the area of environmental
education and awareness for the citizens to put off the
inherent long-acquired culture of indiscriminate waste
disposal attitudes. The research highlighted the need for
Government to venture into wealth-to-energy scheme as a
way creating wealth, jobs, and simultaneously solve the
problems of energy scarcity, environmental degradation,
environmental pollution, increased green house gases to the
atmosphere.
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