Waste Management Logistics in Urban Municipalities: A Descriptive Study of Enugu City, South East Nigeria

This study investigates the waste management logistics system in Enugu City, South East Nigeria, with a focus on collection efficiency, route planning, and disposal infrastructure. Urban waste management in Nigerian cities is a persistent public health and environmental challenge, with inadequate logistics infrastructure cited as a primary cause of irregular waste collection and illegal dumping. Enugu City, as the commercial capital of Enugu State, generates significant volumes of municipal solid waste daily, placing strain on existing collection and disposal operations. Using a descriptive research design, structured questionnaires were administered to 50 waste management officers, truck drivers, and supervisors employed by the Enugu State Waste Management Authority, alongside observational data collected at five transfer stations and the Enugu City central dumpsite. The study examines vehicle availability and utilisation, collection frequency by district, route optimisation practices, and disposal compliance at designated sites. Waste management performance is assessed through collection coverage ratio, missed collection incidents per week, and illegal dumping complaint frequency. Descriptive statistics and spatial frequency analysis are applied. The study draws on urban solid waste logistics literature from African city contexts. Findings are expected to reveal significant capacity gaps in vehicle fleet size and route planning capability. Recommendations are addressed to the Enugu State Government, the Waste Management Authority, and urban development planning bodies on logistics upgrades to achieve more reliable waste collection across all city wards. Keywords: waste management, logistics, urban municipalities, Enugu City, solid waste.