Solid waste management in Onitsha, Nigeria

Waste management in the municipality of Onitsha is handled by division of the municipality into six sanitation zones. Refuse is discharged into 1.5 m(3) containers in the residential areas while 1.6 m(3) containers and built-up dumps are used in the commercial, industrial and some residential areas. Vehicles for waste collection include open tippers, side loaders, liftable container trucks and rear-loading compactors. A sanitary landfill is the main method used for waste disposal; in addition, open dumps, a controlled landfill, and animal feeding are employed. In order to help in future waste management analysis and strategies in the Onitsha municipality, two-thirds of a 5 m(3) truck loads of solid wastes were separated into components and their percentages by weight obtained. Refuse analysis indicated a high percentage of vegetable/putrescible and paper/wood products while the generation rate is 0.53 kg per capita per day. It was found that a great part of the budget (77%) was spent on collection and haulage leaving a minor amount (23%) for waste disposal. The adoption of modem waste management practices should be emphasised in order to achieve greater efficiency.