Household Solid Waste Practices and Determinants of Source Segregation in Yola North Local Government Area, Adamawa State, Nigeria

Princewill Iliya Usmana

Abstract


This study examined household solid waste practices and the determinants of source segregation in Yola North Local Government Area (LGA), Adamawa State, Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional mixed-methods design was used, combining a structured survey of 250 households across six wards with 12 key-informant interviews and field observations. Quantitative data collected between June and August 2025 were analysed in IBM SPSS Statistics version 27 using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, Pearson correlation and binary logistic regression; interview data were analysed thematically. Mean household waste generation was estimated at 8.60 kg per week. Organic/food waste accounted for 52.0% of the reported waste stream, followed by plastics (21.1%), paper/cardboard (13.6%) and glass/metal/cans (8.0%). Half of respondents (50.4%) reported no source segregation, 31.2% segregated occasionally and 18.4% did so regularly. Only 6.0% used multiple containers deliberately separated by waste type. The most frequently reported barriers were lack of segregation bins (79.2%), absence of separate local-government collection (72.8%), distrust that separated waste would be appropriately managed (71.2%) and limited practical knowledge (58.8%). Education was reported to be associated with segregation behaviour (χ² = 12.84; reported p = 0.002), while monthly household income correlated positively with segregation frequency (r = 0.47). In the multivariable model, access to segregation containers was the strongest reported predictor (odds ratio = 3.08), followed by education (2.44), income (2.04) and trust in the local-government collection system (1.98). Interview findings highlighted institutional under-resourcing, weak service reliability and declining participation when awareness activities were not supported by infrastructure. The findings indicate that household willingness alone is insufficient: practical segregation requires containers, reliable separate collection, public education and credible institutional commitment. An infrastructure-first, community-based approach is recommended for Yola North. 


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