Analysis of Solid Waste Management Practices and Environmental Implications in Aba, Abia State

Inadequate solid waste management remains a significant environmental and public health challenge in Nigerian secondary cities, where population growth and commercial activities generate waste volumes that outpace collection infrastructure. This study analyses solid waste management practices and their environmental implications in Aba, Abia State, one of South East Nigeria's busiest commercial cities. The research employs a descriptive case study design, combining household surveys of 200 respondents, field waste characterization exercises, and interviews with Abia State Waste Management Agency officials. Waste generation rates, disposal methods, collection frequency, and citizen awareness of environmental regulations were assessed. Spatial mapping using GPS coordinates was used to document illegal dump sites and open burning locations across the study area. Findings are expected to reveal a heavy reliance on roadside dumping and open incineration among households not served by formal waste collection, particularly in peripheral wards. The study also examines the role of informal waste pickers in the waste value chain and their contribution to diverting recyclable materials from final disposal sites. Recommendations focus on strengthening the public-private partnership model for waste collection, expanding community skip-bin programs, establishing a materials recovery facility to harness informal sector participation, and enforcing anti-dumping regulations through community awareness campaigns. The research contributes planning-relevant data to ongoing discussions on sustainable waste governance in Nigerian commercial cities. Keywords: Solid waste management, Environmental implications, Aba, Waste governance, Informal sector.