ABSTRACT
Urban centers in developing countries are still battling with waste management problems owing to insufficient collection and improper disposal of waste. In Kaduna North Local Government area, various techniques are still employed in waste management, such as the burning, burying, open dumping and others, but an empirical understanding is needed for the prominent ones. The objectives of the study are to :- examine the characteristics and volume of waste, characteristics of waste management techniques, capacities of waste management agencies, and examine the challenges of management techniques in the study area. For administration of questionnaires 327 respondents using random sampling techniques. Data collected were analyzed using percentages, histogram, pie charts. The major results are that less than 8% of the respondents were below the age of twenty, while 92%were between 20-40 years of age and were able to provide necessary information on behalf of the family. Another finding was that 13% were farmers, and 87% were either business people or civil servants. Solid waste generated in the study area 72% of organic waste papers and plastics 23%, 3% metals, 1% others. Another finding is that solid waste management techniques in the study area includes burning at 21.71%, burying at 15.90%, open dumping and secondary dumping locations has 61.77% and others at 0.61%. In terms of management capacities 134% of solid waste were managed by private, individuals and companies while196% is managed by the State and the local authority. This explains reasons why government could not cope with the growing of waste streams. About 53.8% were not satisfied with the management techniques and 46.2%were of the opinion that the government is trying. Management and disposal of waste is commonly done in the study area by dumping on any relative available space or uncompleted buildings, local incinerators, burning, dumping on designated bins by the major road sides and important streets in the study area. The bulk by percentage of the solid waste generated are biodegradables, papers, plastic and other organic waste such garbage. The Local government should in an effort find a way of converting the organic waste to re-useablemanure or materials in farms and gardens by mere adoption of the local technology abound in the study area.