The deterioration of the Nigerian environment: Problems of solid wastes disposal in the metropolitan Lagos

Proper management of solid wastes is a key to environmental sanitation. In recent times the quality of life in most of the cities of the developing world is being deminished by uncontrolled and poorly managed solid wastes in the urban environment. Lagos urban is a typical example. It must be acknowledged that although wastes from homes, businesses and institutions make up a small part of the total load of solid wastes generated in any urban environment they are certainly the most offensive and most dangerous to health when they accumulate near residential points. The quality of life in urban Lagos, Nigeria, with respect to indiscriminate dumping of uncollected solid wastes approximates an aesthetic disaster. This study is therefore designed to examine the problems of solid wastes disposal in Lagos, Nigeria and to provide data base against which effective solid wastes disposal system in the Nigerian capital city might be monitored and tested.Acknowledgement: I wish to thank members of the Environmental Problems and Effects class (1978/9 Session) Geography Department, University of Calabar for their assistance in collecting data for this study.The Year of the last valid population census in Nigeria.