MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE COLLECTION AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES IN AKURE, SOUTH-WESTERN NIGERIA

Abstract

Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) has become one of the greatest problems facing many urban and semi-urban centres of Nigeria. This study presents the various steps and ap-proaches taken in Akure, Southwestern Nigeria, to combat the menace. Such approaches in-cluded creation of special agencies for the collection, recycling and conversion of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) into useful products. Also, recruitment of Sanitary Inspectors and Volunteer Youth Corps, awareness campaigns and collaboration with other government agencies has im-proved compliance with sanitary laws, thus helping in effective MSWM and making the city ap-pear neater and the environment is more habitable. The study, therefore, suggested the need for MSWM cost sharing between the government and the people, strengthening of all enabling sanitary laws and adequate budgetary allocation for all concerned agencies, involvement of Private Sector Participation (PSP) and awareness campaigns to sustain the present level of MSWM efforts and increase the tempo to guard against future population increase.