In the first article, we introduced environmental sanitation technology as the use of science, engineering, equipment and digital tools to protect health and manage environmental risks. One of the clearest places to see these ideas in practice is solid waste management in public spaces.
In Ilorin, Kwara State, markets, motor parks, streets, school environments and other busy public spaces generate waste every day. How this waste is handled affects not only the appearance of the city but also drainage, environmental quality and public health.
Waste management should therefore not be viewed simply as removing rubbish. It involves waste generation, storage, collection, transportation, treatment, recovery and final disposal.
Why Public Spaces Need Special Attention
Public spaces experience continuous human activity, and every activity can generate waste.
A study of five markets in Ilorin found paper and vegetable waste among the dominant waste types reported by traders. The researchers also found that most respondents used public stationary containers, showing that available waste facilities can influence disposal behaviour (Ola et al., 2020).
People are more likely to use a facility when it is accessible and regularly serviced.
The Ilorin Case
Ilorin provides a useful local example of the challenges involved in managing waste in a growing urban environment. Research on municipal solid waste management in the city has reported waste accumulation on streets and disposal at undesignated locations (Ibikunle, 2023). Another study identified indiscriminate disposal in places including drainages, markets, waterways and uncompleted buildings as an environmental concern in Ilorin (Sakariyau, 2019).
WHO notes that inadequate solid-waste management can contribute to environmental pollution and create conditions that may increase exposure to disease vectors and other health risks (WHO, 2021).
Nigeria also has a national regulatory framework for sanitation and waste management. The National Environmental (Sanitation and Wastes Control) Regulations provide a legal framework for sustainable and environmentally friendly sanitation and waste-management practices intended to minimize pollution (NESREA, 2009).
A Local Case Study: Ilorin Markets
The researchers surveyed 194 traders across five markets in Ilorin. Their findings showed that 75.4% of respondents emptied their waste into public stationary containers. Paper accounted for 34.7% of the dominant waste types, while vegetable waste accounted for 29.8%. The study also reported that waste collection commonly occurred every couple of days and mostly in the evening (Ola et al., 2020).
These findings are useful because they show that the waste problem is not simply about people’s willingness to dispose of waste properly. The availability, location, capacity and collection schedule of waste facilities also matter.
This is where environmental sanitation technology becomes important.
Using Technology to Improve Waste Management
Technology can help sanitation authorities plan services based on evidence.
GIS and GPS, for example, can be used to map waste bins, litter hotspots, collection routes and underserved areas. A study examining waste-bin locations in Ilorin demonstrated the usefulness of spatial analysis for determining appropriate locations for municipal solid-waste bins (Adekunle et al., 2012).
More recently, researchers at the University of Ilorin used GIS and handheld GPS to identify waste-litter locations and waste bins on the university campus. The study mapped 139 litter locations and 77 waste bins and identified areas where litter was concentrated, including around the Faculty of Education, Faculty of Management Sciences and Students’ Union Building (Babalola et al., 2025).
This changes the question from simply asking whether an area is dirty to asking where waste accumulates and where services should be improved.
What My Training Has Taught Me
My experience studying Environmental Health Science has shaped how I understand problems like this. Classroom teaching provides the principles, while practical training, SIWES and project work show how those principles can be applied to real environmental situations.
My training has taught me the importance of evidence. Observation, measurement, data collection and analysis provide a stronger basis for intervention.
The late Professor Henry Sawyer was among the teachers who contributed to my academic foundation and understanding of environmental health as a field requiring scientific thinking and practical problem-solving.
My experience has also shown me that environmental problems rarely exist in isolation. Waste management can involve public behaviour, infrastructure, economics, policy, environmental conditions and public health at the same time.
What Can Be Improved?
Improving solid-waste management in Ilorin requires several measures working together.
First, public spaces need enough appropriately positioned waste containers. Second, collection schedules should reflect the amount of waste generated in each location. A busy market may require more frequent collection than a low-traffic area.
Third, waste segregation should be encouraged where practical because separating organic materials, plastics and paper can support recycling and resource recovery.
Fourth, sanitation providers can use GIS, GPS and digital reporting systems to monitor collection services and identify problem areas. Smart bins equipped with sensors could eventually indicate when containers are approaching capacity.
Finally, technology must be supported by enforcement and public education. A sophisticated system cannot succeed if people continuously dump waste outside designated facilities.
The Wider Lesson for Nigeria
Nigeria needs systems that reduce unnecessary waste, encourage recovery and recycling, improve collection, provide appropriate disposal facilities and use data to guide decisions.
The growing global waste challenge also makes these approaches important. UNEP and ISWA emphasize waste prevention, improved waste management and circular-economy approaches as important responses to increasing waste generation (UNEP & ISWA, 2024).
For Nigerian cities, this means looking beyond the traditional approach of simply collecting waste after it has accumulated. Prevention, segregation, recycling, recovery, efficient collection and responsible disposal should all form part of the system.
Conclusion
Solid-waste management in public spaces is both an environmental sanitation issue and a public-health responsibility. Ilorin’s experience shows that the availability, location and management of waste facilities can influence how waste is handled.
Research from Ilorin also demonstrates how evidence and technology can improve sanitation planning. GIS, GPS, digital monitoring and eventually smart waste systems can help identify litter hotspots, improve facility placement and make collection more efficient.
However, technology is only part of the solution. Effective waste management requires reliable services, appropriate infrastructure, enforcement, public education, professional environmental health practice and community participation.
For Ilorin and other Nigerian cities, the goal should be more than keeping public spaces visually clean. The goal should be to build a waste-management system that prevents uncontrolled disposal, protects the environment, supports public health and makes better use of the resources contained in waste.References
References
Adekunle, A. A., et al. (2012). A case study evaluation of the impacts of optimised waste bin locations in a developing city. Civil Engineering and Environmental Systems, 29(2).
Babalola, A., Ibrahim, H. D., Babalola, S. O., & Gbadamosi, A. (2025). Spatial analysis of waste litters on the main campus of the University of Ilorin. FUOYE Planning Journal, 2(2).
Ibikunle, R. A. (2023). Investigating municipal solid waste generation and management in Ilorin for possible integrated waste-management system.
Ola, A. B., Raheem, W. A., Raheem, W. M., & Ibrahim, R. (2020). Assessment of solid waste management in selected markets in Ilorin, Nigeria. In Planning and Management of Sustainable Infrastructure Development in Nigeria, 410–432.
Sakariyau, B. (2019). Assessment of solid waste disposal & environmental issues in Ilorin metropolis.
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) & International Solid Waste Association (ISWA). (2024). Global Waste Management Outlook 2024. United Nations Environment Programme.
World Health Organization (WHO). (2021). Guidance on solid waste and health. World Health Organization.
National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA). (2009). National Environmental (Sanitation and Wastes Control) Regulations, S.I. No. 28 of 2009. Federal Republic of Nigeria.
