Environmental and Economic Sustainability of Solid Waste Management in Muda Lawal Market, Bauchi, Nigeria

Abstract

Solid waste management (SWM) in urban commercial markets in northern Nigeria remains poorly documented, particularly with respect to economic, rather than solely environmental, sustainability. This study assessed the environmental and economic sustainability of SWM practices in Muda Lawal Market, Bauchi State, Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was adopted. Data were collected from 240 respondents (traders, waste handlers and market authorities) selected by stratified and purposive sampling from a population of 600, with the sample size determined using Yamane's (1967) formula. Structured questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and an observation checklist were used, and data were analysed using descriptive statistics in SPSS. Organic (55.0%) and plastic (27.5%) waste were the dominant fractions, and 95.4% of respondents reported increased waste quantities during peak trading periods. Management practices were informal, disposal-oriented and lacked source segregation, producing a high perceived environmental impact (grand mean = 4.38) characterised by pollution, drainage blockage and disease-vector proliferation. Economically, 61.7% of respondents earned no income from waste-related activities, 88.3% reported financial losses attributable to poor waste management, and 90.8% associated market cleanliness with higher sales. Respondents agreed that stronger policy, infrastructure investment and multi-stakeholder collaboration are required for sustainability (grand mean = 4.47). The study concludes that SWM in Muda Lawal Market is currently both environmentally and economically unsustainable, and recommends source segregation, resource-recovery infrastructure and sustainable financing mechanisms as reform priorities.