Spatial Analysis of Environmental Injustice in the Location of Waste Facilities in Lagos State

This study conducts an empirical spatial analysis of environmental injustice in the siting of waste management facilities in Lagos State, South West Nigeria, testing whether transfer stations, landfill sites, and illegal dump sites are disproportionately located in lower-income and politically marginalised communities. Environmental injustice in facility siting is well documented in developed country contexts but has received limited empirical attention in Nigerian or sub-Saharan African settings despite its theoretical relevance. The study combines geo-referenced locations of all confirmed waste facilities in Lagos State with socioeconomic data from the 2023 National Population Commission household welfare indicators and political representation data from the Independent National Electoral Commission. Spatial regression models using the Spatial Lag Model specification test the association between facility proximity and community-level socioeconomic variables while controlling for spatial autocorrelation. Complementary qualitative data from interviews with twenty community leaders and ten Lagos Waste Management Authority officials explore the processes by which facility siting decisions are made. Statistical results confirm a significant negative relationship between community median household income and proximity to waste disposal facilities, after controlling for spatial effects. Political marginalisation, measured as absence of community representative in the State House of Assembly, is also significantly associated with higher facility proximity. Qualitative data reveal that siting decisions rarely involve formal community consultation. The study provides empirical evidence of environmental injustice that challenges Lagos State's environmental management governance framework. Recommendations include mandatory community participation and environmental justice impact assessment in future waste facility siting decisions. Keywords: environmental justice, waste facility siting, spatial analysis, Lagos, environmental inequality.