Abuja was established in 1976. It is the capital of Nigeria and is part of the Federal Capital Territory
(FCT). It was initially developed according to a Master Plan devised in 1979. This apportioned 2.0% of
the FCT area for government activity/usage, 49.0% for residential development, and 32.5% as
open/green/recreational areas to add to the aesthetics of the city, with the remaining land (16.5%)
being used for ancillary services, light industries, other infrastructure and commercial activities. The
Abuja master plan was designed to stimulate growth and provide an opportunity to avoid many of
the problems associated with unplanned growth associated with other cities in Nigeria.
Federal Government establishments relocated to Abuja during the 1990s, and all embassies, the
headquarters of many national and multinational corporations and many national newspapers are
now in Abuja. This rapid expansion far exceeded what had been anticipated in the Master Plan, and
the population of Abuja now exceeds the original design capacity. In 1991 the population of the FCT
was
378,671, and this had increased to 1,724,205 by 2001. Projected population figures for the Abuja
region predict massive growth with 5.8 million people expected by 2026.
Unfortunately, the opportunity to develop infrastructure (including that for waste management), in
phase with city growth and in line with a pre-agreed Master Plan, was lost, and Abuja now shares
many of the same problems as other Nigerian cities.
THE ROLE OF FEDERAL AGENCIES
The landmark Federal legislation on environmental protection in Nigeria was the decree Number 58
of 1988, which established the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA). The specific role of
FEPA with respect to solid waste management is to:
– Study the most reliable systems that are appropriate for local, domestic and industrial
wastes.
– Specify waste disposal and treatment methods that take into consideration the geological
and environmental setting and encourage recycling.
– Specify waste disposal sites that guarantee the safety of surface and underground water
systems.
– Set up and enforce standards for adequate sanitary facilities for the disposal of human and
other solid wastes in dwellings, housing estates and public facilities in both urban and rural
areas.
– Establish monitoring programmes including periodic surveillance of approved waste disposal
sites and their surroundings and waste water systems.
– Establish monitoring stations for the control of the disposal of leachate from dumpsites into
surface water and groundwater systems.
FEPA enacted a number of laws and regulations. These have included:
– The National Protection Management of Solid and Hazardous Wastes Regulations of 1991.
– The Pollution Abatement in Industries and Facilities Generating Waste Regulation of 1991.
– The General Guidelines for Pollution Abatement in Industries 1991.
The Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) is responsible for solid waste management in
Abuja. It has responsibility to:
– Remove, transport and dispose of domestic, commercial and industrial waste.
– Clear and maintain public drainage facilities, street cleaning and clearing of abandoned
vehicles.
– Register private waste collection companies.
– Prepare and periodically up-date the master plan of waste collection and disposal in the city.
– Approve and monitor all disposal systems in the city.
– Assess recycling as a waste management option for industries and government agencies.
– Establish and recommend the basic standard requirements for solid, liquid, gaseous or toxic
waste management provided they do not conflict with, but complement, the standards of
the FEPA.
– Establish and recommend acceptable safe methods of collection and disposal of hazardous
and toxic waste products in the FCT.
– Educate the general public on the various disposal methods acceptable for domestic and
industrial waste products.
– Initiate environmental protection legislation and keep existing legislations under constant
review to reflect the latest discoveries and observations on the subject.
– Organise and mobilise the public to participate actively in regular clean-up exercises and
beautification of their environments.
WASTE STORAGE
A key aspect of effective waste management is proper waste storage on the premises where the
waste is generated. The AEPB is responsible for collecting waste from municipalities, and they have
made containers (120-L and 240-L plastic bins, and 1.1 m3 metal bins) available to every household.
WASTE COLLECTION AND TRANSPORT
Collection and transportation are a major cost in the waste management process. Private firms
collect house-to-house, typically between one and three times a week, depending on the availability
and condition of their vehicles. Collection of kerbside deposited waste tends to be quite irregular.
Informal sector collection workers also operate house-to-house collection services; they often
separate out recyclable materials and dump unwanted degradable waste around the area. As a
result, such informal collectors are officially banned from certain districts, and their carts are
regularly impounded by the authorities.
Collection and transportation of waste is both labour and capital intensive. It has been estimated
that waste transportation, including labour and machinery, accounts for between 70% and 80% of
the total cost of solid waste management in Nigeria.
Traffic conditions often interfere with waste collection and transport in Abuja. Collecting and
transporting waste at night has been tested by the AEPB, although this proved to be problematic
because of security implications for householders. A shortage of waste collection vehicles in Abuja is
due to lack of funding and inadequate maintenance. Efficient collection depends on proper selection
of vehicles; this needs to take account of road conditions, traffic density, availability of spare parts,
servicing requirements and haulage distances. A variety of motorised and manual vehicles are used
for waste collection and transport in Abuja