Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management in Nigeria is a sorely underperforming sector in Nigeria. This underperformance has long been attributed to the neglect from its Federal and State Governments. However, critical assessment shows the need to adopt a systems approach and integrate data science technologies in identifying challenges and proposing solutions to Nigeria’s waste management sector. The study adopts a narrative review design, following the lacking research and waste quantitative data in assessing MSW management in Nigeria. It examines systems theory engineering models and assessment tools in the context of waste management, and adopts a case-study examination of Lagos State waste management processes and stakeholders. The study’s findings show that Nigeria is still significantly dependent on open dumping systems and incineration systems. Its waste recycling sector is inefficient and incapable of mitigating current waste pressures. This is evident in Lagos, as the state’s plastic recycling ranges between 3-6% of all plastic waste generated. The informal waste collectors (IWC) hold significant influence and these entities have continuously resisted formalisation from the Federal and State governments. Examining the 2020 waste management policy reveals some ambiguity in the responsibilities of the various stakeholders in the policy and institutional framework. The study proposes key strategies towards mitigating the lack of waste management enforcement mechanisms, absence of waste-to-wealth strategies, poor funding, and limited public awareness on recycling. This study’s value is in its systems approach to combatting Nigeria’s MSW pressure. This approach is underscored by the inclusion and astute application of data science technologies and stakeholder engagement across both public and private sectors. The study seeks to provide a foundation for more empirical research following the data gap and lack of academic research on Nigeria’s MSW management, in the hopes that it will catalyse sustainable MSW management solutions.
Offorson et al. (Thu,) studied this question.