Journal Article

Solid Waste and its Wealth Potential for Sustainable Environmental Management in Lugbe, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

 Increased migration of people to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the search for affordable housing has forced many of the city occupants to move to Lugbe, one of satellite towns. This has increased substantially, the amount and type of refuse being generated in this area. Increased waste generation has not been matched with commensurate rate of evacuation and management. Recent waste management strategies no longer see waste as just a burden, but as a source of wealth. With increased waste generation in Lugbe, this study thus seeks to assess the wealth potential of these wastes, so as to design a more economical and sustainable approach to waste management. To achieve this, the sources of waste was identified, the quantity and major characteristics of the waste generated in Lugbe was also examined. The potential economic benefit of the wastes generated was also assessed. Qualitative and quantitative data was collected for the purpose of the research. Quantitative data involved primary data collected from questionnaires administered while secondary data was obtained from Abuja Environmental Protection Board. Qualitative data was collected using key informant interviews, informal discussions as well as field observation. Data analysis was done using basic statistics while qualitative data was analysed descriptively. The findings revealed that, though Lugbe is predominantly a residential community, wastes generated there have a strong potential for recycling and income generation. The increased activities of scavengers and informal recycling centres in the study area reveal lots of income generated from the efforts at waste collection and recycling. The willingness of the respondents to sort their waste at source indicates the possibility of a successful integrated solid waste management system if adopted. It is recommended that Municipal Authorities (Abuja Environmental Protection Board) should recognize waste management in urban and rural areas as a critical issue that has implications for sustainable livelihoods, climate change and air quality, There is therefore a need to lay appropriate actions that ensure sustainable waste management along the chain. Such strategies include those that reduce waste generation or those that manage waste on site through recycling waste for transformation into useful products, enforcing penalties on poor waste disposal, supporting initiatives and innovations in waste management for household incomes generation and Government authorities need to encourage existing community initiatives/innovations in waste management and waste sorting through provision of incentives / rewarding systems.

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