Abstract

The research study evaluated socio-economic factors influencing urban households’ willingness to pay for solid waste environmental management services in Abuja, Nigeria. Specifically, the study was designed to achieve the following objectives: determine the socio-economic profiles or characteristics of respondents, determine the classifications of solid waste and methods of solid waste disposals, evaluate the socio-economic factors influencing urban households’ willingness to pay for solid waste environmental management services, identify the constraints faced by urban households’ to pay for solid waste environmental management services , and identify the problems solid waste disposed posed to the society in the study area. Multi-stage sampling technique was used. About 100 respondents were selected for this research study. Data were of primary sources. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Probit model analysis, principal component analysis, and problem confrontation index. The results show that the respondents were energetic, active, and resourceful in their middle age (. The household sizes were large. The respondents are literate with 98% of them had formal education. Solid waste among the communities in the area can be classified as wood, food, paper, glass, rubber, metals, plastics, leather or polythene and textiles. Method of solid waste disposals within the communities include: incinerator (12%), private vehicles (18%), public containers (14%) and dumpsite (56%). The statistical and significant exogenous socio-economic factors influencing willingness to pay for solid waste management services include: gender (P< 0.01), age (P < 0.05), marital status (P < 0.10), household size (P < 0.05), level of education (P < 0.01), and income of respondents (P < 0.05). Principal component analysis used in analysing constraints facing respondents shows six constraints with Eigen-values greater than one were retained by the model. The constraints were: lack of incinerator, lack of vehicles, lack of public containers, lack of drainage facilities, lack of street cleaners and poor government policy. The retained constraints explained 86.79% of all variables included in the model. Diseases and vector transmission was ranked 1^st, public health issues, flooding, and environmental fouling were ranked 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th among problems examined by problem confrontation index. The study recommends that incinerator, private vehicles and public containers should be provided for the communities. Government should formulate policies in favour of solid waste management in both urban and rural areas.

Key Words: Socio-Economics Factors, Solid Waste Management Services, Abuja, Nigeria