Efficiency of solid waste management methods in Karu Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, North Central, Nigeria

The efficiency of solid waste management in Karu Local Government Area, Nasarawa State was studied through the administration of questionnaires to heads of household using systematic sampling methods. The study covered a wide range of socio-economic and demographic variables from the households, such that income of household heads, household size, educational status of household heads, methods and frequency/efficiency of waste collection; waste bins by households and disposals facilities used as well as the role played by government in waste management in the study area were investigated. The study area was divided into Masaka, Karu and Mararaba communities. The results were largely based on the data generated through the administration of questionnaires. 300 copies of questionnaires were administered to household heads in the three areas selected, where Masaka area had 75; Karu area had 108 while Mararaba area had 117. It was deduced that solid waste generated in all the areas remained for days or weeks without been evacuated and containers used for waste collection are not adequate, majority of household heads in the three areas use either plastic or metal buckets to collect and disposed their waste at the locations designated containers for such are placed and also that the socio-economic characteristics varied in all the three areas. Furthermore, at 5% level of significance, H-calculated (as against Ho, efficient waste management) for the three communities were 0.178<5.99<9.21, and are all higher than 0.05 with the implication that solid waste management is not efficient in all the areas. It is therefore, recommended that Nasarawa State should as a matter of priority release more funds to the body that is responsible for management of wastes through Nasarawa State Berau of waste management, a unit under Nasarawa Urban Development Board to cope with the increasing volumes of wastes in the study area. This will help to reduce the high rate of the likelihood of outbreak of epidemic.