A Fundamental Evaluation of the Municipal Solid Waste Management in Ado Ekiti, Nigeria, Using the Rating Index of the Users and Operatives

The assessment of the management of the municipal solid waste (MSW) in Ado Ekiti being undertaken by Ekiti State Waste Management Board (ESWMB) was done using questionnaires distributed randomly to the users and government operatives of the service. The questionnaire responses were on a five-point scale, similar to the Likert’s scale, but not bipolar. The data was collected from the users of the main dumpsters, which are located at Opopogboro, Ajilosun, Atikonkon, Oja Oba and Odo Ado areas of the city. Also, the data from the operatives was collected from the driver and four labourers designated to collect waste from each dumpster. The people’s rating index (PRI), which was calculated from the weighted value of the responses to different questions, was used to determine the overall index value whose maximum value is 100. The rating was classified into five categories- bad, fair, fairly good, good, very good and excellent, to enable pragmatic assessment of each issue being assessed. The rating of the users varies from fair to fairly good while the rating of the operatives varies from fair to very good. The general better rating of the operatives compared to the users indicate the reason the state government is oblivious of the poor status of the management of the municipal solid waste (MSW) in Ado Ekiti. The findings in this study suggest that the state government needs to hold a stakeholders summit on effective management of MSW in Ado Ekiti. With this, critical issues relating to urgent need for improvement and increased funding from non-governmental organisations and the federal government will be resolved. In conclusion, the approach used in this study, which is not symmetrical and includes the perception of primary stakeholders appears to be pragmatic and suitable for foundational appraisal of the management of a basic MSW system.