Community participation in urban waste management of Zuru town, Kebbi State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study assessed community participation in urban waste management approaches in Zuru Town Kebbi State Nigeria. Two suburbs of Zuru Town were investigated, namely the neighbourhood of Rafin Zuru and Rikoto. Zuru Town i is located within the Local Government Area of Zuru one of the twenty-one States Local Government Areas in Nigeria. The purpose of this study is to assess community participation level in urban waste management. The study employed mixed-methods sequential explanatory design, comprising a short survey to assess community activities, level of participation, and waste management approach employed. Qualitative approach also used to explain phenomenon and understand the roles of community in waste management. Survey data has been analysed by using SPSS (version 26) descriptive statistics, including frequency and percentages to describe information regarding activities of community-based groups, level of participation in waste management, and waste management approaches employed. Participants involved members of community-based groups, community leaders, officials of the ministry of Environment, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Kebbi State Urban Development Agency (KUDA). There are 193 respondents involved in the study. Among these participants, 53.4% were male, 46.6% were female, Findings from research questions revealed that the community-based groups are highly engaged in waste administration activities such as clean-up functions, fundraising, and initiatives to prevent indiscriminate waste disposal. Despite this effort, it was revealed that other important activities such as awareness campaigns, organization of workshops and seminars, and sensitization were largely neglected by the groups. While fundraising and clean-up activities are essential for a safe and friendly environment, awareness of citizens is also important for sensitizing them on the negative effects of indiscriminate waste disposal. While the importance of community participation in waste management has been widely discussed in the literature. However, the community should be tasked with the responsibility of decision making, preparation, execution and monitoring waste management projects. The finding that open dumping and burning were the dominant waste management techniques employed by the community-based groups should attract the attention of policy makers towards banning such techniques to save the environment.