The Impact Of Grassroots Challenges To Trash Incinerators In Nigeria

The state of solid waste management in cities of most developing countries is fast assuming the scale of a major social and environmental challenge (Daskalopolous, 1998a). In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in particular, the combined influence of poverty, population growth and rapid urbanization has tended to worsen the situation (Walling et al., 2004). The gravity of this problem is perhaps best reflected in the level of attention given to it in the United Nations (UN) Millennium Declaration (September, 2000). Three of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) outlined in the declaration have waste or resource efficiency implications (UN, 2007): o Ensure environmental sustainability by integrating the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes and reverse the loss of environmental resources. to Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by halving between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than $1 a day. o Develop a global partnership for development by addressing the special needs of least developed countries, landlocked countries and Small Island Developing States. In response to the waste challenge many developed countries have embarked upon ambitious environmental reforms, recording remarkable advances in best practises and sustainable management of their Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). However many developing countries such as Nigeria have fared less well in this regard as a result of several barriers militating against sustainable municipal solid waste management (Ezeah et al., 2009a). To illustrate this point, a four country study by the African Development Bank (AfDB, 2002) on Solid Waste Management Options for Africa, revealed the following findings: 1. No country in Africa has detailed solid waste management legislation yet. 2. Solid waste management in most African countries is characterized by inefficient collection methods, insufficient coverage of the collection area and improper disposal of waste.