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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