The sight is tragically familiar: dump sites festering near the halls of residence, plastic waste scattered ubiquitously around campus, and bins overflowing with neglected trash. As for the stench, no one ever gets accustomed to it, yet we’re forced to endure it.
The University of Ibadan, a thriving community home to a population of over 5,000 students and more than 1,000 staff, faces a significant solid waste management crisis. This crisis goes beyond mere filth and stench; it’s a toxic breeding ground for diseases. Solid waste- a complex mixture of discarded everyday items has been linked to acute diseases: Malaria, Cholera, Typhoid, and respiratory diseases from air-borne pollutants. This article aims to dissect this silent epidemic, its consequences (particularly health consequences), and proffer high-yield solutions to the crisis.
Root Causes of the Crisis
One may wonder why the University of Ibadan, Nigeria’s premier institute of higher education, faces a crisis like this in the 21st Century. The reasons are glaring:
- Inadequate Infrastructure: It’s very clear from the crisis on ground that the UI’s waste management system operates on a fractured skeletal framework. For a micro-city accommodating over 7,000 residents with bustling non-academic activities, such as cafeterias, mini-markets, and hostels, it’s alarming and tragic that there’s no well-planned system for waste management. This infrastructural failure can be linked mainly to a lack of waste management data. Currently, no metrics exist for waste generated per day per capita, making waste management a haphazard task. This data vacuum translates to:
Bin shortage and mismanagement
Waste bins are a luxury in UI. Critical areas, such as walkways, lecture theatres, and even hostels, are left with insufficient to zero bins. Notably, there are barely any bins from UI’s first gate, via Oduduwa Road, up to Trenchard Hall (a 900m stretch that hosts over 5,000 footfalls daily). The CBN lecture theatre, a 1500 + seater lecture theatre, can’t boast of up to 15 waste bins, which falls below the requirement of a building of that capacity.
Where bins exist —underserving relics that have seen better days —they accumulate waste within hours, their open designs inviting scattered sachets. “The bins aren’t maintained properly. They are never washed,” a student noted with frustration. This neglect further contributes to the reluctance among residents to use them, aggravating the littering problem.
The situation in the halls of residence isn’t any better. “In Awo Hall, we don’t have enough bins. Even the ones available are very small,” said *Ire, a 300-level resident. “In a corridor, you may only find one bin- or sometimes none. On my floor, we have only two bins, which are small baskets. Before the end of the day, they are full and overflowing with trash.” She adds that the problem worsens on Sundays when sanitation staff are usually off duty. “The dustbin sites turn into actual dump sites. It is always an eyesore. Pathetic.” This testimony from Awo Hall further highlights the chronic bin deficit and a systemic failure that leaves residents with no practical alternative for safe waste disposal.
Another issue is the thoughtless placement of bins. For example, the concrete “bin” (though it qualifies as a functional bin, it doesn’t qualify as a standard bin) placed a few metres from the entrance of Bello Hall is a health-hostile placement. Its location lacks proper containment and is too close to public space, making it unsuitable for effective waste management. This example is one of many that places residents of the University at risk of air pollution, foul odours, and respiratory infections.
Collection System Collapse
The dump site festering at Independence Hall’s South Gate stands as an undeniable testament to the collapse of the waste collection system. Refuse piles up for days, even weeks, without being cleared, creating a breeding ground for flies, rodents, and mosquitoes—vectors of various diseases. Even when waste is eventually collected, the task is often done haphazardly, leaving remnants of trash still behind. “There was one dump site close to the road that led to where SBJ was located before. They added another one near Awo Hall and another around Awo Mount Zion. That Indy dump site isn’t meant to be there −people pass that place every single day. Why are there major dump sites close to our halls of residence? It doesn’t make sense. I wish they could get rid of them,” were the words of Oge, a 300-level student.
This highlights a broader issue with the placement of dump sites on campus. Locations that should be protected from environmental hazards are often the most exposed. Placing dump sites near residential areas is not only poor planning, but also a direct health risk to the residents of UI.
Insufficient Support for Sanitation Staff
Another factor contributing to the persistent waste-management crisis in UI is the appalling condition of the Sanitation workforce. While no data confirms the shortage of sanitation workers in the University, there are strong indications of systemic neglect.
“I don’t think the cleaners are extremely short-staffed. It’s most likely a problem of being underpaid,” a student observed. This points to a deeper issue. It reflects the value placed on cleaners in the university. Sanitation staff are poorly remunerated. According to an article by the Indy Press, Sanitation workers in UI earn between ₦12,000 and ₦15,000 monthly—a figure that amounts to just 17-21% of the ₦70,000 government-approved minimum wage. Sanitation workers also lack access to the basic tools and protective equipment necessary for effective waste management.
- The Nigerian Litter Culture: Beyond the infrastructural rot, the waste-management crisis in UI is deeply rooted in what can be best described as the Nigerian Litter Culture. This culture thrives on general disregard for the environment and the belief that waste disposal is someone else’s responsibility— perhaps the government’s or the cleaners’.
“The problem is that we typically live in a society where we have not been taught that disposing of things improperly is a bad thing. We all grew up seeing it as a normal thing. You eat that gala; you toss the nylon on the floor. In fact, holding the nylon and keeping it for proper disposal is deemed abnormal,” Musa, a 500-level student, remarked. “The justification for littering is that the place isn’t even clean; others have also tossed their litter here. I have seen people ignore the waste bins and dispose of their trash inappropriately. It is more of a mental conditioning now.”
This speaks to a broader behavioural pattern, reinforced by what psychologists describe as the Broken Windows Theory. This behavioural theory argues that visible neglect (such as overflowing bins and neglected dump sites) signals that disorder is acceptable, triggering a chain reaction of disorder. When people are accustomed to seeing litter, they are less likely to feel a sense of responsibility for caring for their environment.
Impact of the Crisis on Campus Health
- Spread of infectious diseases: A strong correlation exists between improper waste management and the spread of contagious diseases. Dump sites and open waste bins serve as breeding grounds for flies, rodents, and mosquitoes. These vectors are responsible for transmitting infections like Malaria, Cholera, and Typhoid, posing a significant health threat to the entire UI community.
- Risk of Respiratory Infections: The proximity of dump sites to Halls of Residence puts students at a high risk of respiratory infections. When organic wastes, e.g., leftover food, decay, they emit gases like Methane, Hydrogen Sulfide, and Ammonia, which can cause headaches, throat irritation, and further respiratory irritation in people with allergies.
“I think it’s a long-term thing. We are passing by the dumpsites, inhaling the bad and not-so-bad … it will have effects that will cause something else later,” a student observed, hinting at the slow, invisible harm these pollutants may be causing daily.
- Water Contamination and Water-borne Diseases: Improper waste management has significantly contributed to the contamination of both underground and surface water, putting people at risk of Waterborne diseases. Leachate that seeps from decomposing waste can contaminate water bodies, introducing pathogens responsible for diseases such as Cholera, dysentery, and typhoid. Additionally, clogged drainage from the accumulation of solid waste can lead to erosion, resulting in stagnant water in the environment and further exacerbating the breeding of vectors and the transmission of infections.
- Psychological stress: Based on intensive studies, there exists an elevated risk of adverse mental health effects among people residing in a poorly maintained environment. A cross-sectional study conducted in the Ashanti Region of Ghana found that individuals living near open dump sites reported sleep disturbances, extreme fatigue, low mood, concentration difficulties, and stress, which were significantly higher than those in a properly maintained environment.
Beyond Health: The ripple effect of this Epidemic—Environmental degradation
The dumping of solid wastes, particularly plastic and metal-laced waste, leads to the accumulation of toxic heavy metals, such as lead, Cadmium, and Zinc, in campus soil. The chemicals, when absorbed into the soil, lead to a reduction in soil fertility and disruption of microbial activities, further leading to the decreased viability of the surrounding vegetation on campus. Over time, this leads to erosion, making agricultural activities in the university nearly impossible. Leachate seepage into the soil also increases soil pH imbalance. The emission of greenhouse gases from organic waste also contributes to climate change and ecosystem disruption, affecting not only campus residents but also flora and fauna. These greenhouse gases contribute to the Urban Heat Island Effect, making the University significantly hotter.
The Way Forward
The first step in addressing this waste crisis is a thorough reform of the infrastructure. There is a need for a reformed infrastructure backed by data and an effective waste management database. There’s an urgent need for a system that can help track the waste generated daily per capita. A model example is the imported GIS-based system used at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, which geolocated every dumpster and dump site, mapping proximity to buildings and roads. This automated system enabled sustainable solid waste management through the placement of waste points, more innovative collection routing, and real-time tracking for improved decision-making. Adopting a system like this in UI would go a long way in addressing the disorganised waste management system and enhancing efficiency.
But data alone isn’t enough; there’s a need for more strategically placed, durable, and covered waste bins in critical locations across campus. Poorly placed and broken bins fuel littering across campus. Equally important is the need for better equipping and remuneration for sanitation workers in the university. Sanitation workers deserve better pay (at least equal to the nationally approved minimum wage) as well as better sanitation equipment.
Additionally, there’s a need for the location of authorised dump sites, which will be adequately and promptly attended to at a further location from halls of residences and high-traffic academic zones. These authorised dump sites should be located in isolated yet accessible areas with engineered structures designed to prevent leachate, the exudation of foul odours, and vector infestation. This would help reduce the risk of environmental pollution and the spread of diseases.
Tackling the waste management crisis requires a proper realignment of mindset among the university’s residents. Campus-wide education programs should be organised to help educate university residents about the dangers of poor waste management, the importance of proper waste sorting at the source, and the importance of maintaining a clean environment. Orientation programmes for first-year students can be leveraged to provide adequate education on waste management. Education also needs to be balanced with strict enforcement mechanisms. There should be rules guiding waste disposal on campus. These rules should be backed up with punitive measures for offenders. Consistent and rigorous enforcement of waste management rules will help tackle the Broken Windows syndrome, ensuring that the chain of neglect and disorder is broken.
Maintaining a clean and healthy environment is a shared responsibility among all individuals. It involves joint effort from students, staff, and the entire University community. All hands must be on deck to create a learning environment that’s healthy and free from the grip of pollution and poor sanitation. Encouragingly, there have been past projects organised by Students, NGOs, and environmentally conscious volunteers aimed at creating a cleaner campus environment. Various initiatives, such as the Project Pick-a-thon—an environmental Sanitation Project organised by students in collaboration with Recycle Edge, Dokia, and MWAN—have shown us that the change we wish to see is possible with the power of collaboration. These efforts, though laudable, need to evolve from being one-off events into an ingrained culture within the University.
Conclusion
The evidence is clear that the waste-management crisis extends beyond a Sanitation problem: it’s a health hazard and a reflection of institutional and individual lapses. But it’s not irreversible. While it may seem that we have a lot to do to rid our dear institution of this Epidemic, with a Reformed infrastructure, Proper Education, Policy Enforcement, and above all, a collective mindset shift, we can make our university environment a cleaner and healthier space for learning.
