AN ASSESSMENT OF WASTE GENERATION, COLLECTION, SEGREGATION AND DISPOSAL PRACTICES IN ABATTOIRS OF KANO METROPOLIS, NIGERIA

Abstract

Abattoir waste is a significant environmental and public health concern in rapidly urbanizing cities,
particularly where collection, segregation, treatment, and disposal systems are inadequate. This study
assessed waste generation, collection, segregation, storage, and disposal practices and their associated
environmental health risks in five major abattoirs in Kano Metropolis, Nigeria. A convergent parallel mixedmethods design was employed between March and August 2025. Structured questionnaires were administered
to 357 abattoir workers, while 15 key informants interviews were conducted using purposive sampling
technique and field observations were also conducted. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive
statistics and an independent-samples t-test, while qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis. Mixed
waste streams were reported by 94.4% of respondents, with animal parts constituting the dominant solid waste
source (97.5%) and blood (98.6%) and cleaning wastewater (96.9%) the predominant liquid waste streams.
Only 49.9% reported daily waste collection, while private waste-management companies (39.8%) and internal
abattoir staff (38.1%) were the principal collection actors. Major barriers included inadequate facilities
(72.8%), insufficient training (68.3%), and high management costs (65.5%). Full segregation by waste type
was practiced by only 27.5% of respondents, whereas 22.1% reported no segregation. Solid waste disposal
was dominated by open piling (32.5%) and open decomposition (30.5%), while 40.3% of liquid waste was
reportedly discharged directly into drains or watercourses without treatment. Respondents associated poor
waste management with water pollution (94.1%), soil contamination (92.4%), vector proliferation (96.9%),
and community exposure (99.4%). Environmental impact scores were significantly higher among respondents
reporting improper waste management than among those reporting proper management (68.4 vs. 45.2; t =
−5.67, df = 355, p < .001). The findings demonstrate substantial deficiencies in abattoir waste governance and
infrastructure and highlight the need for integrated interventions combining source segregation, reliable
collection, wastewater treatment, resource recovery, worker training, and regulatory enforcement.
Strengthening these systems could reduce environmental exposure and improve occupational and community
health protection in Kano Metropolis.