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Municipal solid waste management in Port Harcourt, Nigeria: Obstacles and prospects

Josiah M. Ayotamuno (Department of Agricultural Engineering, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, Nigeria)
Akuro E. Gobo (Institute of Geosciences and Space Technology, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, Nigeria)

Management of Environmental Quality

ISSN: 1477-7835

Article publication date: 1 August 2004

4289

Abstract

Until recently, Port Harcourt was known as the “garden city of Nigeria” because of its neatness and the overwhelming presence of vegetation and flowers all over the metropolis. But today, the presence of piles of refuse dotting the entire city may have turned Port Harcourt rather to a “garbage city”. Indiscriminate dumping of wastes – industrial, commercial and household – such as food waste, paper, polyethene, textiles, scrap metals, glasses, wood, plastic, etc. at street corners and gutters, is still very common. The situation is so bad that traffic flow is obstructed, while there is likelihood that leachates from such dumps, after mixing with rain water, have the potential to contaminate drinking water. The basic solid waste management processes of collection, transport, segregation and final disposal appear to be very inefficient. This research carefully assessed the present system of solid waste management in Port Harcourt, with the aim of identifying the main bottlenecks to its efficiency and the way forward. The subject matter of solid waste management is the main object of discussion throughout this article.

Keywords

Citation

Ayotamuno, J.M. and Gobo, A.E. (2004), "Municipal solid waste management in Port Harcourt, Nigeria: Obstacles and prospects", Management of Environmental Quality, Vol. 15 No. 4, pp. 389-398. https://doi.org/10.1108/14777830410540135

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2004, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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