Refuse defaces nation’s capital

Heaps of uncollected refuse have continued to mar the beauty of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), threatening public health. The wastes which is often an eyesore appear on streets, markets, and roads due to a combination of factors including a lack of public bins and inadequate waste collection services. This growing disturbing environmental menace many […]

Heaps of uncollected refuse have continued to mar the beauty of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), threatening public health.

The wastes which is often an eyesore appear on streets, markets, and roads due to a combination of factors including a lack of public bins and inadequate waste collection services. This growing disturbing environmental menace many believe contributes to public health risks like disease outbreaks, environmental pollution, and in the long runalso tarnishes the federal capital city’s image. 

Residents and visitors to the city continue to express concern over the growing menace of indiscriminate waste dumps and growing heap of waste on and along major roads and official negligence to evacuate them.

Across districts such as Wuse, Utako, Garki, Gwarinpa, Jabi, Life Camp and Nyanya, mountains of refuse now compete with the city’s skyline.

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The stench from decomposing waste hangs in the air, while scavengers and stray animals roam freely around dumpsites.

What was once a pristine, well-planned city has now become a visual and environmental nightmare for many residents.

“Everywhere you turn, you see piles of refuse that have not been collected for weeks,” lamented Oritoke Olalekan, a resident of Wuse.

“The Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) seems to have gone to sleep. This is their main duty to keep our streets clean, but the board has failed.”

Motorists and traders echo similar frustrations

Rafiu Jimoh-Adebukola, a taxi driver who operates around Utako, said the situation posed both health and safety hazards.

“When the refuse piles up, people set it on fire to reduce the smell. The smoke blocks our visibility and makes breathing difficult. Sometimes, hoodlums hide around these dumpsites and snatch people’s phones during traffic,” he said.

At the Life Camp junction and Nyanya interchange, residents said refuse heaps had become permanent fixtures. The dumps attract scavengers, locally known as “baban bola,” who pick recyclable materials but often leave more filth behind.

The practice, residents claimed, had also opened the door for criminal activities.

“We have seen cases where these scavengers engage in theft or vandalism. When they are caught, the police release them after collecting bribes,” alleged Taye Ayedero, another motorist, adding, “We are tired of complaining; the government needs to take this seriously.”

The situation is the same at Wuye, Garki and some areas in Matama districts.

A resident of Wuye, Esther Ishaya, said the situation had become worrisome, saying the refuse heap on her street has been there for months.

 

Situation worse in Gwarinpa

Business owners and motorists that operate around Gwarinpa District have decried the proliferation of refuse heaps that have taken over some major roads in the community.

The worst-hit areas are those located along the 3rd Avenue Road, the Works and Housing entrance, as well as around Kado-Bimko market.

While business operators’ lamentation is mainly on what they said was making the area unpleasant for them and their visitors, motorists had lamented that the heaps of refuse were taking over roads, leading to traffic congestion, especially around the peak hours.

One of the shop owners interviewed, Fidelis Oketa, said a “wicked stench” emanating from the refuse was poisonous and hazardous to their health.

“We reported the matter to the Federal Housing Authority on countless occasions, being the providers that designated land to everyone you see here, but to no avail. As a businessman that invests millions of naira, to experience such things on a daily basis is a general setback. All our known customers are running away from us and no longer patronising us as a result of this toxicity.”

Also speaking, a restaurant manager at the nearby centre, Blessing Daniel, said she lost over 70 per cent of her customers due to the situation.

“Even the new faces that come here, you would see them struggling to finish their food and leave the restaurant hurriedly instead of ordering for other things while eating.”

The caterer said those handling the evacuation of the refuse as contractors hardly cleared the refuse when they finally showed up.

“They would make like two trips with their truck and leave for another location,” she lamented.

She suggested the relocation of the refuse from the junction to another suitable location.

A commercial driver operating around the axis, Jamilu Sulaiman, said motorists were finding it difficult to move around the location, with some of the roads being entirely avoided due to the heap of refuse.

A community leader, Malam Abubakar Ali, urged the AEPB to intervene, adding that previous efforts by residents are yet to make an impact.

The village head of Kado-Bimko, Malam Ibrahim Isiaku, whose area is also littered with refuse heaps, said a clarification they sought from the AEPB officials on the issue indicated that the contract for refuse evacuation in the area, handled by a company, had expired for some time now.

He said that as a result, some residents decided to take over the matter by raising a fund for the work through the shop owners and other business operators in the area.

Public health disaster looms

Public health experts have warned that the consequences of poor waste management go beyond aesthetics. According to them, decomposing waste produces toxic gases such as methane and ammonia, which can cause respiratory distress and other ailments.

Dr Onaja Sunday, an environmental health specialist, explained that constant exposure to such toxins would weaken the immune system.

“When refuse is left to rot in the open, it becomes a breeding ground for flies, rodents and mosquitoes that transmit diseases like cholera, typhoid and malaria. Communities close to these dumpsites are particularly at risk,” she said.

She called for an urgent intervention, noting that with the FCT’s growing population, the volume of daily waste generation has increased dramatically, far beyond the capacity of existing collection systems.

 

Why waste management crisis persists in Abuja

A town planner, Barnabas Atiyaye, a fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners and managing director of ENVICONS Team Ltd, said the waste crisis in Abuja was a direct outcome of rapid urban growth, weak institutional coordination and insufficient infrastructure.

According to him, the FCT has experienced “massive population expansion,” particularly within the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and satellite towns like Gwarinpa, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Karu, leading to higher waste volumes.

“Despite government’s efforts through the AEPB and the area councils, waste collection and disposal remain below expectation. Many residential areas and markets suffer from irregular waste collection, illegal dumping and open burning,” he noted.

Atiyaye outlined five major challenges plaguing the FCT waste management system, such as inadequate collection and disposal infrastructure as a result of limited waste bins, compactor trucks and poorly maintained landfill sites, which are making efficient disposal impossible.

Others are weak institutional coordination caused by overlapping roles between the AEPB, area councils and private operators, which has created confusion and inefficiency.

He also listed low public awareness, saying many residents still dump waste indiscriminately or engage in open burning, showing poor understanding of proper waste handling.

“We have limited recycling and waste-to-resource initiatives. Recycling remains largely informal and dominated by scavengers who operate without safety equipment or government regulation,” he added.

According to him, poor data and planning are also a problem, adding that the FCT lacks reliable statistics on waste generation; and has failed to integrate waste management into urban planning frameworks.

The way out

Atiyaye stressed that to tackle this environmental menace, an urgent and comprehensive reform was needed.

He recommended a combination of institutional strengthening, technological innovation and public participation.

He proposed the following actions: Empowering the AEPB by reforming and giving the agency a clear authority to license, monitor and coordinate all waste-related operations in the FCT, expand coverage by franchising waste collection to credible private companies in all the six area councils to ensure regular and equitable service.

He also suggested the need to “upgrade landfills by turning the existing dumps like Gosa into fully engineered sanitary landfills with leachate control and gas capture, promote recycling and composting by setting up material recovery facilities and incentivise investors in plastic, paper and electronic waste recycling.

“There is also the need for public awareness through the launch of sustained campaigns through the media, schools and religious institutions to promote a culture of cleanliness.’’

He also encouraged the FCT Administration to launch waste-to-energy initiatives by exploring public-private partnerships for converting organic waste to biogas or power for street lighting and municipal facilities.

To him, if these measures were adopted, the FCT could achieve cleaner environment, create jobs and align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 11, 12, and 13).

“Waste should no longer be seen a nuisance but an economic resource. The FCT can turn its waste problem into a model of environmental sustainability,” he emphasized.

 

Reps wade in, probe waste management crisis

The House of Representatives has resolved to set up an ad hoc committee to commence a comprehensive probe into the growing waste management crisis across the Federal Capital Territory amid concerns that the situation has turned the city into a public health and security emergency zone.

This followed the adoption of a motion on matters of urgent public importance moved by Umar Shehu Ajilo during Thursday’s plenary.

Presenting the motion, Ajilo lamented the alarming state of environmental sanitation in Abuja, characterised by indiscriminate refuse dumping, blocked drainage systems and non-functional streetlights across major roads, inner streets and public spaces.

He warned that the combined effects of waste accumulation and pervasive darkness due to non-functional streetlights were creating a “dual crisis” that threatened both public health and security in the nation’s capital.

“These unsanitary conditions are breeding disease vectors, such as mosquitoes and rats, leading to increased outbreak of malaria, typhoid, cholera and Lassa fever. They also contaminate air and water sources, endangering the lives of residents, especially women, children and the elderly,” Ajilo said.

Contributing to the motion, Ahmed Jahar Babawo commended the initiative, stressing that FCT’s infrastructural management had become critical, particularly during the rainy season when blocked drainages cause gridlocks across the city.

“The minister is working; take it or leave it. Nyesom Wike is the best FCT minister we have ever seen. The truth is that management of infrastructure is different from the provision of infrastructure. This report will draw attention to the urgent need to focus on maintenance,” Babawo said.

 

New waste management regime kicks off Monday – Wike

Responding to mounting complaints from residents, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has vowed to tackle the problem head-on.

Wike, who chaired the FCT Executive Committee Meeting on Thursday, announced that the administration would commence a new waste management regime from Monday, November 17, 2025.

Addressing journalists shortly after the meeting, the coordinator of the Abuja Municipal Management Council (AMMC), Chief Felix Amechi Obuah, disclosed that the Executive Committee ratified and approved the memo for new contractors to provide waste collection and management services across the various locations of the FCT.

Chief Obuah explained that the approval also covered the procurement of basic treatment plants, as well as the maintenance and operation of supervisory utility vehicles.

The AMMC boss, who lamented previous complaints about waste disposal in the FCT, expressed the hope that with the new waste regime, residents should expect a cleaner Abuja.

Speaking also on waste disposal, the Director of the Satellite Towns Development Department (STDD), Abdulkadir Zulkiflu, said the committee had ratified the payment of a contract for the provision of emergency evacuation of waste from open dumps, collection points, waterways and streams in the Dogon Gada community in the Abuja Municipal Area Council.

He said the sum of N111,913,176 was released for the execution of the contract.

Earlier, the chief of staff to the FCT minister, Chidi Amadi, had reiterated the minister’s concern for environmental cleanliness in the territory and his efforts towards making Abuja a world-class city.

He said, “The minister is so much concerned, especially with regard to the contract concerning waste management. And he is very serious about it because it is related directly to the cleanliness of the city.”

Wike had, during a recent inspection of ongoing cleanup operations on airport road and the Nyanya–Karshi axis, admitted that refuse accumulation in the country’s capital had become a serious concern.

He attributed the current lapses to the expiration of previous waste contracts, but assured that fresh contracts would soon be awarded.

“It has been a major problem, but we are already removing all the refuse dumped. In the next two weeks, the contract for refuse disposal will be formally awarded,” Wike told reporters.

The minister emphasized that the FCTA would no longer engage “political contractors” who lack the technical competence to deliver quality service. “Most of them don’t have the equipment or experience. We are doing everything to ensure that only competent contractors are engaged,” he declared.

He appealed for patience from residents, assuring them that the administration was determined to restore cleanliness and environmental order in both the city centre and surrounding communities.

“We understand the frustration of residents. The FCTA is not happy with the current state of things, but change is coming,” he said.

 

Infrastructure boost

In line with the minister’s commitment, the Director of Development Control, speaking during a recent press briefing, announced that the FCT Executive Council had approved the extension of service contracts for the Jabi pump station, a critical sewage treatment facility.

“The Jabi pump station predates the Wupa treatment plant. It treats waste before it is passed to Wupa. Stopping its operation would endanger the environment through the release of toxic substances,” the director explained.

He expressed appreciation to the FCT Executive Council for approving the service contract extension, describing it as a vital step in preventing environmental contamination and improving waste treatment across the city.

 

Residents seek action

Despite these assurances, many residents said they would only believe when they see results.

“We have heard many promises before. If Wike’s administration can actually clean up the city and sustain it, then Abuja can regain its pride as the country’s capital,” said Osaya Adamu, a long-time FCT resident.

Others want more inclusion in the process. Ngozi Nwafor, a trader at Garki Market said, “The government alone cannot do it. Communities should have waste management committees to monitor their areas and hold contractors accountable.”

Environmental activists also emphasized that citizen education remained the key. Without a change in public behavior, they argue, even the most efficient system will fail.

“Until residents understand that throwing refuse by the roadside or burning waste harms everyone, this cycle will continue,” Hamza Sule, an advocate with the Green City Initiative noted.