PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT: ASSESSING SERVICE DELIVERY IN URBAN MUNICIPALITIES IN PORT HARCOURT METROPOLIS, RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA.

This study assessed public administration and solid waste management service delivery in Port Harcourt Metropolis, Rivers State, Nigeria, focusing on institutional and administrative arrangements, service delivery performance, operational challenges, and improvement strategies. The study was motivated by persistent environmental sanitation problems, indiscriminate waste disposal, inadequate waste collection services, and concerns about the effectiveness of public institutions responsible for waste management. A descriptive cross-sectional mixed-methods design was adopted. Data were collected from 396 respondents in Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas using structured questionnaires and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs). Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square, independent samples t-test, one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Pearson Product Moment Correlation, and Multiple Linear Regression at a 0.05 level of significance, while qualitative data were analysed thematically. The findings showed that institutional and administrative arrangements were only moderately effective (Grand Mean = 2.51), while overall waste management service delivery was unsatisfactory (Grand Mean = 2.37). Major challenges included inadequate funding (Mean = 3.26), inadequate waste collection vehicles (Mean = 3.17), poor public attitudes (Mean = 3.16), weak policy implementation (Mean = 3.10), and political interference (Mean = 3.03). Respondents endorsed increased government funding, stronger policy enforcement, improved contractor monitoring, public awareness campaigns, and community participation as key improvement strategies (Grand Mean = 3.29). Institutional arrangements significantly influenced service delivery (χ² = 38.742, p = 0.001) and emerged as the strongest predictor (β = 0.389), while the regression model explained 64.5% of the variance in service delivery (R² = 0.645, p = 0.001). The study concluded that strengthening institutional governance, funding, administrative coordination, policy implementation, and stakeholder participation is essential for improving sustainable solid waste management service delivery in Port Harcourt Metropolis.