A Comparative Analysis of the Operational Characteristics of Informal Waste Collectors: The Case of Ibadan and Abuja, Nigeria

Informal waste collectors (IWCs) have been visible actors in the municipal waste management sector of many cities in Nigeria. Various studies have made attempts to study the operational characteristics of IWCs, however, less emphasis has been made to examine the variations in their operational characteristics across cities in Nigeria. This paper attempts to fill this gap using Ibadan (Oyo State) and Abuja (FCT) as examples. The choice of the two cities was informed by the variation in their access to waste management resources. While Abuja is a federal government-controlled municipality with more resources, Ibadan is a state-controlled municipality with fewer resources. A structured questionnaire was randomly administered to 418 IWCs in both cities. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in the analysis of the data collected. Abuja IWCs evacuated more waste daily (312 kg) than Ibadan (255 kg). All the sampled Abuja IWCs (100%) used push carts to evacuate wastes while 78.5% of Ibadan IWCs used push carts; Abuja IWCs earned more income (N7,500 daily) compared to Ibadan (N3,000 daily). There was preponderant use of public stationary containers for waste disposal by Abuja IWCs than Ibadan. Few Ibadan IWCs used personal protective equipment (PPE) compared to Abuja. Regression analysis showed that the volume of waste collected by IWCs is influenced by the waste collection fees, method of waste transportation and distance between the collection points and disposal sites. It is therefore recommended that adequate provision of public stationary containers will encourage better waste disposal among the IWCs.