Issues and Challenges of Solid Waste Management Practices in Port-Harcourt City, Nigeria- a behavioural perspective

Nigeria is a country with abundant human resources and natural resources. However, the progress and development of this great country has been hindered by poor urban solid waste management practices (Adedoyin, 2006). Port Harcourt is one of the most urbanized cities in Nigeria, but it is also one of the most dirty cities (Alabor, 2007). Driving a car or walking around the city is a dazzling scene of dirty garbage. These wastes are dumped only on major highways and roads. Public dumping of solid waste at Port Harcourt and its environmental impact is currently not suitable for healthy living (Eloho, 2006).

Unfortunately, other developing countries in the world can not say this. Developing countries like Nigeria are still struggling to manage urban solid waste. As a direct result of the oil boom, Port Harcourt, the investigative case study, the provincial capital of the Nigerian river, experienced a mass migration from rural to urban areas. The population has almost tripled over the years. As a result, the amount of solid waste generated in the city increased dramatically.

The issues of urban solid waste management in developing countries such as Nigeria are quite different from those of advanced Western countries. Furthermore, depending on the speed of development, culture and speed of development in a specific country, the composition of waste generated varies from country to country. Depending on the social class of a particular area and the occupation of residents, the type of waste generated by them varies widely. The production volume of solid waste in the third world countries is 0.6 to 0.8 kg / person / day, compared to 0 to 6 kg / person / day in developed countries (Zerbock 2003). Ogwueleka (2009) acknowledges that developing countries such as Nigeria have different solid waste management problems than those of the first world. According to a study by Ajao and Anurigwo (2001), Port Harcourt produces 168,201 tons of solid waste per year, which is the main research area in this area.