This paper presents a pathway for Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management practices in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 11 and 12 in Lagos, Nigeria. It uses Scotland, UK, as an exemplar of best practices. Lagos’ rapid expansion has resulted in a simultaneous rise in the production of solid waste and a strain on the existing waste systems. Waste collection activities in Lagos were discovered to have been dominated by the informal sector (scavengers). A recent survey revealed LAWMA’s waste collection is inefficient despite its weekly average evacuation exercise, as waste accumulation exceeded the existing storage and collection facilities, thereby causing an unclean environment, illness outbreaks, and significant environmental degradation. MSW currently affects issues like human health, pollution of the air, water, and land, among others. Therefore, necessitating drawing lessons from examples of best practices. This study employed a multimethod approach using case study as a strategy. For Lagos to fulfil SDGs 11 and 12, effort should be made to promote waste reduction, resource recovery, and increase landfill tax. Further studies should gather input from informal actors like scavengers and households who are very active in the MSW chain in Lagos to get a broader view of MSW practice in Lagos.

Authors: T.K. Olaniyi, A.J. Ajayi

Published in: World Congress on Sustainable Technologies (WCST-2024)

• Date of Conference: 4-6 November 2024
• DOI: 10.20533/WCST.2024.0009
• ISBN: 978-1-913572-77-8
• Conference Location: St Anne’s College, Oxford University, UK