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PHD SEMINAR 1 TOPIC: SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT USING INCENTIVE-
BASED APPROACH (CASE STUDY OF LAGOS, NIGERIA)
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PHD SEMINAR 1
TOPIC: SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT USING INCENTIVE-BASED APPROACH
(CASE STUDY OF LAGOS, NIGERIA)
Introduction
Lagos is the old capital of Nigeria before it was moved to Abuja in the year 1991. It’s relevance
in the world and Africa in particular cannot be over-emphasized as it is the commercial nerve
center of Nigeria. It has the land area of 3,600 square km and approximated population of about
21 million people in 2016. The state presently has a very high population density of over 4,000
persons per square kilometer and according to United Nations estimation, going by 6% growth
rate; Lagos will be the 3rd largest mega city in the whole world in the nearest future.
As expected, the uncontrolled population explosion, serious urbanization and rapid industrial
growth all have direct effect on waste management systems in the state. The daily waste
generation in Lagos State is recorded as 13,000 metric tons. Lagos is a home to about 70% of
total industries in Nigeria and the volume of waste being generated by this large population and
the industrial sector is so enormous and overwhelming to all government agencies involved in
the waste handling.
Solid Waste Composition
Waste is any substance which is discarded after primary use, or is worthless, defective and of no
use. Most human daily activities end up in waste generation and this unavoidable trend if not
well managed, result to an environmental problem.
Types of waste: Solid, Liquid, Organic, Hazardous or Biodegradable materials. Some are
recyclable while others are compostable. Hence, for effective waste management, each group has
to be identified and well sorted from the source of generation.
Waste Management: This includes all the activities and actions required to manage waste from
its inception to its final disposal which include the following; collection, transport, treatment,
disposal, monitoring and regulation.
Figure 1: Solid Waste Composition in Lagos, Nigeria (Source: Oyebode and Babalola,
2013)
A typical solid waste generated from a municipal consists of paper/paper board, yard waste,
plastics, metals, food wastes, glasses, woods as well as other miscellaneous items. Among these,
some are organic and inorganic, degradable or non-biodegradable, hence, the need for waste
sorting from the source for effective solid waste management. Although, inadequate formal
waste management approaches remain to an extent some benefits to large number of scavengers,
they are of great challenges to the governments and people of all works of life in the metropolis
generally and the entire vicinities in particular.
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Problem Statement
Waste management is an intrinsic part of any developing or industrial society and its generation
and disposal is influenced by some factors like population explosion, level of environmental
awareness of the people and the government’s approaches towards it. In a study by (Dike, 2011),
it has been observed that the volume of waste does not actually constitute the problem but the
ability or inability of governments, individuals and waste disposal firms to keep up with the task
of managing waste and the environment. In the Lagos scenario, indiscriminate dumping of refuse
causes lots of environmental problems such as:
Blockage of canals/water ways causing more flooding when it rains;
Air pollution due to burning of waste at dumpsites;
Water pollution as some residents discard their wastes in water bodies. In some cases,
rain water carries the rubbish into the water ways;
Street litters which affect the aesthetic appeal (visual pollution) of the city.
The Lagos State Government owned agencies lack the ability to adequately cope with the
upsurge in the volume of municipal solid waste generated and this has led to the creation of a
“vacuum” in the collection, transportation, recovery, recycling and disposal of solid waste in the
state. In place of the state owned agencies, lots of formal and informal private sectors in solid
waste management have sporadically emerged. This is due to the vacuum created by selective
services and irregular management of solid waste by the government. The formal private sector
is made up of Registered Companies / enterprises who have the financial strength, some level of
technical know-how/experience and are generally mechanized while the informal private sector
on the other hand is made up of the locals (who construct carts in large quantities for rentals), the
cart pushers (who are involved in House-to-House waste collection transportation and
recovery), the scavengers (who are involved in the on-site waste recovery or scavenging), the
resource merchants (who purchase of all recovered recyclables and re-usable waste materials)
and the recyclers (the micro and small scale recyclers that convert recovered materials like
paper, aluminum, animal by-products, plastic, metal etc. to valuable materials and raw materials
for the consumption of the industrial sector) (Adebola, 2006).
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Study Objectives
Based on the aforementioned background, this study emerges with the main aim of willingly
involving the local citizens of Lagos in sustainable solid waste management to reduce
environmental pollution. The study will apply the following objectives to achieve this stated aim:
Engaging the community in environmental education by creating awareness of waste
sorting at homes, schools and offices and educating them on the consequences of their
actions;
Collection of recyclables and providing incentives to people for motivation;
Engaging the community by conducting monthly sanitation exercise within and around
the community.
Environmental Impacts of Improper Solid Waste Management in Lagos
Indiscriminate Solid waste disposal has been known to result in some environmental problems
which are affecting the health, aesthetic as well as economic aspect of the people.
Blockage of canals/water ways: This is a common sight in Lagos. People dispose their
domestic wastes in nearby canals thereby causing more flooding when it rains. Lagos as a coastal
state is prone to flooding due to extreme rainfall volume it witnesses yearly especially during the
rainy season. It has an average of 1506.6 mm (59.3 in) of rainfall per year with the driest month
as January with an average rainfall of 13.2 mm (0.5 in) and the wettest weather as June with an
average rainfall of 315.5 mm (12.4 in). According to a study by Ojolowo and Wahab (2017),
waste generation and flooding are inevitable phenomena within natural cycles. Flood and
municipal solid waste have become a huge challenge, particularly in Lagos and many other cities
within and outside Nigeria. As shown in figure 2 below, indiscriminate blocking of canals by
municipal solid waste causes excessive flooding in Lagos.
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Figure 2: Canal blockage by wastes and flooding impact (Source: online)
Air pollution due to burning of waste at dumpsites: Studies have shown that deliberate open
burning in dumpsites causes a serious environmental problem and dangerous to surrounding
populations because it occurs close to the ground rather than up high through stacks where
pollutants can be dispersed more properly to minimize their impacts on health. Large, visible
clouds of black smoke accompany these landfill/dumpsite fires, and the fires generally burn very
slowly, lasting over substantial periods of time and allowing the quantity and concentration of
pollutants to build up (Cogut, 2016). Some of the pollutants and their health implications are
detailed on Table 1 below.
Table 1: Dumpsite burning air pollutants and health implications (Cogut, 2016)
Pollutant Global Emission due % of total Potential health impacts
to open burning global
(kg/year) emissions of
pollutant
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) 1.4 Trillion 5 -Cardiorespiratory failure
-Climate change associated risks
Methane (CH4) 3.6 Billion 1 Respiratory arrest
Climate change associated risks
Carbon monoxide 37 million tons per 7 headache, exhaustion, dizziness, nausea,
(CO) year shortness of breath, loss of coordination
(ataxia), vertigo, chest pain, seizures,
loss of consciousness and death
Coarse Particulates 12 billion 24 heart failure, respiratory disease and
PM10 lung cancer
Fine Particulates 10 billion 29
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(PM2.5)
Black Carbon (BC) 632 Million 11
Organic Carbon (OC) 5.1 Billion 43
Methane 3.6 billion 1 nausea, vomiting, headaches and
coordination loss, respiratory arrest that
results in coma or even death
Polycyclic Aromatic 334 Million 39 Skin, bladder and lung cancer
Hydrocarbons (PAH) Poor cognitive development
Benzene 875 Million 25 Chromosomal mutations
Acute myeloid leukemia
Hydrogen Chloride 3.5 billion serious respiratory issues including
nasal and upper respiratory tract
irritation, coughing and shortness of
breath and suffocation in severe cases
Water pollution: Fresh water is a very basic necessity for life and indiscriminate waste disposal
affects it and subsequently causes health problems on man who depends on it for consumption
and other daily purposes. The aquatic flora and fauna are not left out as they are threatened due
to the pollution caused by waste dumping in water bodies. Recent studies have shown that
contaminated water used for human consumption can lead to serious health problems e.g.
cholera, typhoid, skin diseases, etc., which, in turn, leads to reduced working hours/manpower.
This stated problem subsequently has a direct effect to production output which can lead to a
deterioration of local community welfare (Makule, 2000).
Visual Pollution: Improper waste disposal in Lagos is the main cause of visual pollution which
reduces the aesthetic appeal of the state. Lagos, being the commercial nerve of Nigeria attracts
many tourists and other visitors from other states, hence, the need for it to be a very neat city. As
seen in Figure 3 below, indiscriminate waste disposal is a menace in Lagos
Figure 3: Visual Pollution in Lagos caused by improper waste disposal
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Since the formal sector is not meeting up with solid waste management in Lagos, there is a great
need for the private sector to apply various approaches to curb the problem. For this reason, this
study tends to apply the use of incentives to attract the people to comply willingly in waste
sorting at home and offices and exchange the recyclable materials with gift items.
Incentive-based Approach in Solid Waste Management
The word incentive is defined as “something that incites or has a tendency to incite to
determination or action” (motivates people to show interest in something). Incentive-based
instruments use financial means, directly or indirectly, to motivate polluters to reduce the health
and environmental risks posed by their facilities, processes, or products. These instruments
typically provide monetary and near-monetary rewards for polluting less, and impose costs of
various types for polluting more (Anderson, 2002). Points Earning System is used in this study to
redeem household items or services such as tour, spa/salon visit, movie ticket, laundry services.
The registered people or groups are qualified to select any incentive they desire according to
their accumulated points. The incentives are in such a way that the members of the community
are attracted to join the program which is the goal of this approach. The more the people join, the
better the environment gets by reducing the amount of wastes that get to the dumpsites.
Gather recyclable Redemption
Online or walk-in materials at home according to points
registration
or office earned
Figure 4: Steps for incentives redemption
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Waste
Reduction
Used as raw materials in manufacturing new products
Figure 5: Concept of the Study
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Table 2: Points Generation Chart (Source: online)
The above chart shows how points are generated for the incentives. For instance, a Laptop=1,000
points. Therefore, to qualify for a laptop, one needs to accumulate 1,000 pieces of PET Bottles.
With this type of incentive-based approach, millions of PET bottles will be off dump sites
thereby improving Environmental Quality.
Community Engagement
• Households, schools and offices are motivated to join the program.
• Collection and Sorting HUBS are located within various communities which create
employment for mostly women and youths.
• Corporate firms, students, individuals join in monthly sanitation exercise to clean up the
streets and canals to reduce flooding in the communities.
• Environmental Education training for schools, firms and households to promote
environmental awareness which leads to positive behavioral change.
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Contributions of Incentive-based Approach towards Sustainable Solid Waste Management
• Helps to turn waste to wealth. Millions of recyclable materials are averted from being
thrown to the dumpsites/water ways.
• Motivates people to join the program thereby helping in elimination of environmental
pollution.
• Teaches kids at young age how to care for the environment.
• Engages the community, creates employment and promotes Corporate Social
Responsibilities (CSR).
• Reduces Air pollution by using Electric Cargo Tricycles.
• Collection from source ensures uncontaminated materials that can easily be used as raw
materials.
Incentive-based approach has proved to be an effective
way of solid waste management in Lagos. As can be
seen in figure 6, waste bins are shared to the community
and placed in strategic locations where non-recyclable
solid wastes are properly disposed instead of street
littering. The sorted wastes are collected daily and
disposed accordingly. This has contributed to making
Lagos cleaner.
Figure 6: New Waste bins for community use
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The collected recyclable materials are
sorted, weighed and packed and ready for
further distribution to recycling plants
where they serve as raw materials for new
products.
Figure 7: Baled recyclable wastes waiting distribution (Source: online)
Conclusion
• This approach needs to be expanded to other communities and country at large as it has
proved to be sustainable.
• The incentives range from smaller items like candies to more valuable items like
Televisions and Refrigerators.
• It attracts households, schools, corporate firms.
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References
Adebola, O. (2006). The Roles of Informal Private Sector in Integrated Solid Waste Management
in the Achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Lagos, Nigeria. A paper
presented at the Solid Waste, Health & Millennium Development Goals, CWG- WASH
Workshop in Kolkata, India.
Aderogba, K. A. and Afelumo, B. A. (2012). Waste Dumps and Their Management in Lagos
Metropolis. International Journal of Learning & Development, Vol. 2 (1).
Anderson, R. C. (2002). Incentive-Based Policies for Environmental Management in Developing
Countries. Available at: http://www.rff.org/files/sharepoint/WorkImages/Download/RFF-IB-02-
07.pdf.
Cogut, A. (2016). Open Burning of Waste: A Global Health. R20 Regions of Climate Action.
Available at: https://regions20.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/OPEN-BURNING-OF-WASTE-
A-GLOBAL-HEALTH-DISASTER_R20-Research-Paper_Final_29.05.2017.pdf.
Dike, S. N. (2011). Challenges of Waste Management in Lagos State. A Case Study of Lagos
State Waste Management Authority. Available at :
http://repository.unn.edu.ng:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/655.
Makule, D. E. (2000). Pollution of water sources due to poor waste management--the case of
Dar-es-Salaam. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10842803.
Rainfall/ Precipitation in Lagos, Nigeria Available at:
http://www.lagos.climatemps.com/precipitation.php.
Ojolowo, S. and Wahab, B. (2017). Municipal solid waste and flooding in Lagos metropolis,
Nigeria: Deconstructing the evil nexus. Journal of Geography and Regional Planning. Vol.10(7),
pp. 174-185.
Oyebode, O. J. and Babalola, A. G. (2013). Solid Waste Management for Sustainable
Development and Public health: A Case Study of Lagos State in Nigeria. Available at:
https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Solid-Waste-Management-for-Sustainable-Development-
Joshua-Babalola/10b77de9da7dd7f4e1652cacffa06ff3edfeec3a.
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