Assessment of Waste Management Practices Among Households in Damaturu, Yobe State

Effective household waste management is a prerequisite for urban environmental health, yet practice patterns in North East Nigeria's smaller state capitals receive little systematic documentation. This study assesses household waste management practices in Damaturu, Yobe State capital, examining waste generation, segregation, storage, and disposal behaviours in the context of post-conflict urban recovery. A structured questionnaire was administered to 175 households stratified across five residential zones, supplemented by waste characterisation audits at 20 randomly selected compounds and key informant interviews with Yobe State Integrated Solid Waste Management Agency officials. Results indicate that 68 percent of households dispose of domestic waste through open burning or road-side dumping, with formal collection covering only 29 percent of the urban population. Organic waste, comprising 58 percent of household waste by weight, is rarely composted despite significant potential. Plastic waste management is particularly poor, with sachets and wrappers accumulating in drainage channels and open spaces. Household awareness of waste health risks is moderate but does not translate consistently into practice, pointing to structural rather than purely behavioural barriers. Institutional analysis reveals that the waste management agency's operational capacity was severely disrupted during the insurgency period and has not fully recovered. Recommendations address agency fleet rehabilitation, introduction of community waste champions, and development of organic waste composting demonstration projects at the ward level. Keywords: household waste management, Damaturu, Yobe State, post-conflict recovery, urban sanitation.