An Appraisal of Domestic Waste Management Practices and Operations in South Western Nigeria

The study was carried out to investigate the waste management practices and operations in Southwestern Nigeria with particular reference to Ondo State. A two stage sampling was used to select four Local Government Areas in Ondo State, Southwestern Nigeria as study sites. Semi structured questionnaires and interviews were used to collect data on waste management practices and resources. Out of the 300 respondents interviewed 37 % engaged in a wide range of waste disposal methods Educational status of respondents was not associated with the mode of waste disposal (2=19.55 d. f = 3, Pgreater than0.05) however 45.5 % of the respondents with no formal education most often dumped wastes into drainage channels.51.7 % of the respondents disposed waste daily although, the practice of separation of waste was not popular as only 7.8 % of the respondents separated waste before disposal. The use of Government owned Waste Management Agencies for waste collection was equally unpopular because of the irregularity in waste collection and evacuation by the agencies. Recommendations and conclusions drawn on this study is based on the empirical data collected on waste management practices and operations in Ondo State with a view to proposing an effective waste management system for the State.