THE RELEVANCE OF POLICY AND PRACTICE ON SANITATION EFFORT IN DEVELOPING NATIONS: THE EXPERIENCE OF A SEMI-URBAN CITY IN SOUTH-WEST NIGERIA

Inappropriate waste management and poor sanitation practices have become major concerns in many developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The objectives of this study are to appraise the relevance of institutional policy and practice on sanitation effort with the case study of a semi-urban city in Southwest Nigeria. The study involved the assessment of procedures and techniques available in waste collection, treatment, disposal practices and compliance with institutional rules and regulations. The survey involved the use of structured questionnaires, in-depth interviews, on-site observations and focus group discussions in the various local communities and villages drawn across the 16 wards of the municipality. The data assessed captured social demographic-, housing-, socio cultural-characteristics, sanitation and hygiene behavior and problems with poor water and sanitation. Both quantitative and qualitative techniques in data collection and analysis were utilized as main instruments. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software application was employed for the purpose of analysis. Responses collected were coded using a linkert scaling procedure. The procedure combines descriptive analysis and bivariate regression estimation in arriving at the results obtained. Results of the study showed that there is no connection between institutional policies and the people’s sanitation practices in the communities and more so, the management practices in most communities expose the inhabitants to unnecessary health risks. This has put a challenge on sanitation effort at reaching the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target. It is therefore recommended, that a sustained cooperation be developed among all key actors (government, waste managers, public health workers and inhabitants) so as to implement a economic, sustainable, safe and reliable sanitation strategy and practices. This should not only be limited to legislation and policy formulation but also in its monitoring and enforcement. In addition, there is need for sensitizing the general public and raising their awareness level on environmental risks associated with poor sanitation practices.