Solid Waste Governance Innovations: An Appraisal of Recent Developments in the Informal Sector Niche in Urban Nigeria

Abstract

Recent research in solid waste governance in Nigeria has paid considerable attention to the activities in the informal sector. Innovations related to social dynamics and entrepreneurship initiatives of the sector have been quite remarkable. Opinions have, however, differed on the real significance of informal sector innovations within the solid waste governance sphere. Applying the viewpoint of social innovation on recent research on the informal waste sector in Nigeria, this study appraises how social inclusion initiatives and sense of participation have driven developments in the sector. The aim is to extend the debate on the desirability of the informal sector niche and its relevance to urban development policy in Nigeria. The study argues that given its observed socially innovative initiatives in solid waste governance, the informal waste sector in Nigeria is deserving of development and policy support. Implications of informal sector solid waste governance for geographic research in Nigeria are also examined.