Assessment of Solid Waste Management in Yola North, Adamawa Nigeria

Solid waste is unwanted and occasionally harmful items with a low liquid content that come from municipalities, businesses, industries, agriculture, and other associated sectors. Household and agriculture are the primary contributors to solid waste in many developing nations. The study assesses solid waste management in Yola North LGA of Adamawa State. Specifically, the study seeks to; identify the characteristics of solid wastes and identify the solid waste management systems in Yola North LGA of Adamawa State. 381 copies of the questionnaires were administered to the residents and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26.0 was used to analyse the data collected for this study. When answering the research questions, the mean (X) statistic and standard deviation were used to determine whether an item was considered Agreed (A) if its mean was 3.50 or higher, and Disagreed (D) if its mean was 3.49 or lower. Leather had the greatest mean score (4.1207) for the features of solid wastes in the study area, while spoilt toys had the lowest mean score (2.2913). There were 34 distinct solid waste management systems in the research locations,. Ploughing into the fields has the lowest mean score (2.0210), whereas open burning has the greatest mean score (4.1601). Residents of the study area frequently dump their trash by the side of the road, next to bushes or empty plots, in an open dumpsite which not only defaces the environment but also pollutes the air, which is dangerous and attracts mosquitoes and other harmful insects or flies. Additionally, accumulated waste produces soot and smog in the atmosphere, which leads to poor air quality, reduced oxygen levels for plants and vegetation and increased rates of respiratory diseases.