ABSTRACT
This study analyses the participation of stakeholders in solid waste management in Zaria. It considers the framework for participation and character of relationships between stakeholders. It assesses the outcome of solid waste management by stakeholders through the basic concept of effectiveness to target user needs. The study utilises the cluster and random methods of sampling to select the neighbourhoods, households and stakeholder groups for data collection. The data collected was subjected to descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. The result reveals a lack of recognition and cooperation with non-public institution stakeholders in the solid waste management framework in Zaria. There are inadequate collection and disposal of solid waste by the stakeholders. At the household level, solid waste management is haphazardly undertaken as waste storage and disposal do not conform to the requirement for effectiveness. Significant differences were found in accessibility, rate of collection, frequency of solid waste collection and level of safe disposal while secondary waste collection coverage by stakeholders does not show a significant difference. The stakeholders' secondary collection coverage was effective as 87 percent of stakeholders have an extensive coverage of the households. Most of the variables of the performance are dependent on technical, user and management characteristics. The key explanations for the performance of stakeholders are linked to the institutional framework, legal, technical and socio-cultural factors. The factors range from non recognition of the roles of other stakeholders, a limited legal framework that emphasises environmental sanitation rather than a sustainable solid waste management, grossly inadequate infrastructure, a rather limited scope for cooperation among the stakeholders. The study recommends that all the stakeholders should be recognized as important components of solid waste management and so are included in the institutional framework. Also, for increased participation from the public and communities policy recommendations were made to focus on the determinants with strong impacts on performance. Key Words: Stakeholders Participation, Performance, Framework, Solid Waste Management, Practices, Institutional set-up, Determinants, Local government council, Zaria Urban Area.