MSc Thesis Proposal: Challenges of Waste Management in Nigeria

This document presents a thesis proposal for an MSc in International Environmental Management, focusing on the challenges of waste management and recycling in Nigeria. The proposal outlines the aims, which include identifying the challenges in waste collection, transport, treatment, and disposal, and reviewing barriers and opportunities for improvement, particularly in Lagos LAWMA. The objectives detail the evaluation of waste management practices, identification of challenges, assessment of the informal sector's role, and the development of a new waste management system. The research will use both existing and primary data, including government reports, statistical surveys, and questionnaires for private sector participants and regulators. The rationale highlights the urgent need to address Nigeria's severe waste disposal problem, which negatively impacts public health and the environment. The proposal includes a timeline, ethics checklist, methods description, and a risk assessment framework. The methods involve collecting data through questionnaires and analyzing the current waste management situation in Nigeria. A review of scientific literature is also included, along with references and a Gantt chart to illustrate the project's timeline. The proposal aims to contribute to the development of more sustainable waste management practices in Nigeria.

ENVM011 – Research Thesis Proposal
For:
 MSc International Environmental Management
 MSc Wastes Management
 MSc Managing Waste and Environmental Resources
To help with completion you need to complete the following steps:
1. Arrange a meeting with the course leader or module leader to discuss potential topics and
supervisors (this can be done virtually, by email).
2. Meet with potential supervisor and discuss validity/practicality of project.
3. Complete the proposal document and submit via NILE/Turnitin.
You should use this template to ensure that you have covered all areas needed at this stage. You
will need to email a copy to your thesis supervisor, and to the module leader (Chris Holt) – this
needs to be completed and submitted as soon as possible.
Discuss the document with your supervisor before submitting.
Name:
Proposed thesis title: The challenges of waste management and recycling in Nigeria
Aim(s):
1. “To conduct a study on inadequate collection of waste, transport, treatment and disposal
process of Nigeria for identifying the challenges of waste management”.
2. “To review the challenges, barriers and opportunities related with improvement in waste
management process in Lagos LAWMA”.
Objectives
(First four objectives are of first aim and remaining ones of second aim)
1. To evaluate the waste management practices and relatable components in Nigeria
2. To identify the factors which arise challenges in waste management system in Nigeria
3. To determine role of informal sector in extracting value from waste and process of dumping it
4. To identify the urgency in Nigeria for moving towards more sustainable waste management
system
5. To obtain the key aspects of challenges and barriers associated with improvement in waste
management process
6. To review the types of recycling process mention in Lagos LAWMA project
7. To develop new waste management system for recycling solid waste and improvement in
landfills and dumping process
Sources of data
In order to make specific project on chosen topic i.e. waste management, both existing and primary
data will be collected from various resources. Government census report, statistical survey and

various articles that have been made till current period by other researchers, will be taken under
present project, to review current condition of Nigeria. Along with this, recent project done on
Lagos LAWMA will also be critically reviewed for same process. This would help in extracting key
information at wider level, to address mentioned objectives of present project. While for collecting
primary information questionnaire method will be chosen, where private sector participants and
regulators will invite to give reviews and their perception on challenges of waste management.
Rationale of research –
The reason behind conducting study on Nigeria only, is its current condition, where Waste
disposal is a serious problem of this country. Throughout overall review, a number of rotting heaps
of waste cause adverse impact on health and surrounding environment of markets, houses,
motorways, waterways, streets and land, which directly affect living condition. In addition to this,
mount of waste also growing at an astonishing rate in Nigeria, where current efforts for removing
them seems not to be enough to deal with this situation completely. Therefore, doing study on this
location, will help in evaluating ways through which solid waste can be recycled and remaining
ones, can be dumped properly.
https://www.legit.ng/1155390-problems-waste-management-nigeria.html
https://www.legit.ng/1155390-problems-waste-management-nigeria.html
Time Scale –
From the month of July 2020 to Sept. 2020

Ethics
(Does your chosen topic have any issues that need to be taken to the Faculty or University
Research Ethics Committees before you undertake the research? In many cases the answer will
be ‘There are no such ethics issues’, but you need to complete the checklist).
Ethics Checklist
Name: Course:
Title of project: The challenges of waste management and recycling in Nigeria
Name of supervisor:
Aim of research: “To conduct a study on inadequate collection of waste, transport, treatment and
disposal process of Nigeria for identifying the challenges of waste management”.
Subject population: Private sector participants, regulators and the types of recycling presently
being carried out in Lagos
LAWMA in Lagos
Research location: Nigeria
Experimental procedure: Questionnaire
Yes No
Will the project involve sampling on humans or animals? ✓
Does the research involve invasive techniques (e.g. taking of
blood)?
✓
Is there a risk of physical discomfort to those taking part? ✓
Is there a risk of psychological distress to those taking part? ✓
Will specific individuals or institutions (other than the University) be
identifiable through data published or otherwise made available?
✓
Does the research involve any of the matters that must be referred
to the Faculty or Research Ethics Committees?
✓
Does the research involve asking subjects to undertake tasks that
they would not normally undertake? ✓
Might the research uncover matters that are of wider concern? ✓
Does the research involve any activity that might be described as
‘invasion of privacy’?
✓
Will non-anonymous data be collected? ✓
Is there anything that you are unsure of and wish to clarify? If so, state briefly here.
No
Student’s signature
Supervisor’s signature
Date:
Date:

Methods
(What methods are you going to be using to collect and analyse your data? You will need to
support your approach through reference to the scientific literature. What equipment will you
need?).
Risk assessment
(You need to include a detailed risk assessment – you cannot start your research until you can
complete a satisfactory risk assessment that has been signed off by your supervisor and, as
appropriate, Dean of Faculty.) There is a risk assessment template on the NILE site for you to
download and complete. Email your risk assessment to your supervisor who will check it before
forwarding it on for final approval.
Time frame (Gantt chart):
(You should create a Gantt chart showing how you are going to be allocating your time for the
thesis.)
Review of the scientific literature (500 words):
References
(This is not a final reference list but it should be as comprehensive as possible in the context of
your proposal to allow an evaluation of how much literature is available on your chosen topic.)
Signed Dated
Print name:
Name of supervisor:
For supervisor / module leader use only
Proposed date of completion:
Initial Activity Yes No
Risk assessment completed
Ethics issues completed
Ethics panel approval needed