The prominent environmental issue confronting both urban and rural areas in Nigeria, as well as many

other developing countries, is solid waste management (Mafara & Magami, 2017). The Niger Delta
region, in particular, experiences severe challenges, encompassing pipe spillage and various other forms
of waste-related harm (Lakai, 2020). The obstacles related to solid waste disposal in Nigeria, including
the Niger Delta, involve irregular waste collection, inadequately managed landfills, open burning,
insufficient awareness, water dumping, and soil contamination (Mafara & Magami, 2017). In the
majority of Niger Delta cities, approximately 80% of the population lacks waste collection services, and
there is a notable absence of central waste treatment and recycling facilities (Onu et al., 2014).
Consequently, waste disposal occurs on open untouched land, where it is crushed with bulldozers and
mixed with soil to create compost. The absence of a waste sorting culture in the region further
complicates the effective management of waste (Numbere, 2019).

The effectiveness of waste management relies heavily on regulations and policy guidelines to ensure
environmental sustainability (Ahmed et al., 2022). Notably, the 1999 Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria acknowledges the imperative to safeguard the environment (Eberinwa, 2023), and
subsequent regulations underscore Nigeria's commitment to sustainable and efficient environmental
management. Key agencies overseeing waste management include the Federal Ministry of the
Environment, Lagos State Waste Management Authority (WMA), the National Environmental Standards
Regulatory and Enforcement Agency (NESREA), and the Ministry of Water Resources (Ahmed et al.,
2022). Consequently, both federal and state levels in Nigeria have enacted various laws dedicated to
waste management (Lakai, 2020).

It is advisable for the legislative bodies at the local, state, and federal levels to fulfill their
responsibilities by formulating new laws and policies governing municipal solid waste
management in Nigeria. This is crucial to safeguard the public from the associated hazards.
With clear legislation, the general public will comprehend their legal obligations and comply
with them as outlined by the law (Karshima, 2016). An effective cost management solution
could involve implementing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs. These programs
aim to hold producers accountable for their products throughout their lifecycle, from design
and manufacturing to end-of-life recycling (Valderrama et al., 2021).

The establishment of waste authorities in Nigeria has led to the implementation of various strategies to
address waste management issues. These include traditional methods involving waste generation,
collection, transportation, and disposal, as well as waste minimization strategies focusing on reduction,
reuse, recycling, and recovery (Nwosu and Chukwueloka, 2020). Olanrewaju and Ilemobade (2009)
demonstrated the success of the Ondo State Integrated Waste Recycling and Treatment Project
(OSIWRTP), emphasizing sustainability, environmental protection, economic development, and technical
improvement. This recycling approach effectively eliminated the problems associated with unhygienic
and inefficient open dumpsites, benefiting the people of Ondo state (Olanrewaju and Ilemobade, 2009).

In 1985, the Nigerian Federal Government launched a significant initiative, the environmental sanitation
(clean-up campaign), requiring all residents to participate in compulsory environmental clean-ups every
last Saturday of the month. While the initiative was commendable, its implementation fell short, as the
garbage and wastes collected during the clean-up exercises were often improperly dumped along
roadsides instead of designated dump sites as intended by local governments (Mafara and Magami,
2017).
The effectiveness of these strategies has diminished over time due to challenges such as the vast land
area to cover, Nigeria's large population, bureaucratic nature of government policies and
implementation, government jurisdiction, and the high capital dependence (Anestina et al., 2014).
Additionally, corruption exacerbates the situation, as supervisory bodies often prioritize monetary gains
from defaulters rather than fulfilling their duties without engaging in corrupt practices (Ibrahim, 2020).

In many Asian countries, the institutional framework for waste management authorities is often unclear,
with ambiguous descriptions of their functions and tasks, possibly due to inadequate legislation.
Similarly, Nigeria faces a weak legal framework to support its waste management efforts (Dusim et al.,
2017).

In developed countries, waste management is tightly regulated, leading to careful monitoring of waste
generation, collection, processing, transportation, and disposal, thereby minimizing risks to the public
(Karshima, 2016). The implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in the USA has
significantly enhanced waste management, contributing to the circular economy. EPR laws in the USA
shift the financial and physical responsibility of post-consumer products from municipalities to the
manufacturers and brand owners, leading to positive outcomes (Tumu et al., 2023).