Households Perception on the Generation and Disposal of Solid Waste in Lafia Metropolis of Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Proper solid waste generation and disposal are key components of effective management of municipal solid waste. This study examined households’ perception of the generation and disposal of solid waste in the Lafia metropolis. A systematic random sampling method was adopted in selecting respondents. A well-structured questionnaire was administered to 240 selected households heads within the Lafia metropolis which includes four electoral wards (Chiroma, Gayam, Makama and Zanwa). Each of the four electoral wards was divided into three units (totalling 12 units) and administered 20 samples of the questionnaire. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The findings showed the dominance of males over females in the study area. Ages 30 to 59 constitutes over 70% of the sampled population. About half (49.58%) of the respondents were civil servants. More than half of the respondents (51.25%) reported that the waste they generate is food waste. 46.25% of the respondents use plastic containers as their waste storage facilities. 51.67% of the respondents indicated getting infected by malaria parasites as a result of the improper location of dumpsites (which serves as breeding sites for disease vectors) within their vicinity. On the basis of the findings, it is recommended that relevant government agencies should provide adequate enlightenment on proper waste generation and disposal, adequate designated dumpsites and collection points, and the need to improve the monthly environmental sanitation exercise in the metropolis.