By Gbayesola Samuel 

Editor’s Note: This report is published in two parts to improve readability. Part One examines the extent of waste management challenges across the University of Ibadan through field observations and interviews with residents and the university’s waste contractor. Here is the concluding part.

Despite periodic refuse evacuation and explanations from the university’s waste contractor, one question remained unresolved: why are some refuse collection points located where they are, and what explains the persistence of the problem? To answer this, IndyPress spoke with Awo Hall Health Minister and an environmental health expert to examine the public health dimensions of the university’s waste management system.

Why the Awo Dumpsite Was Moved

Speaking to IndyPress, Awo Hall Health Minister, George Susan explained that the refuse collection point was relocated from its former position during the last academic session after concerns that the previous site was obstructing drainage channels and contributing to flooding whenever waste accumulated.

According to the Health Minister, because refuse evacuation was often delayed, waste would remain at the former location for extended periods, eventually blocking the flow of water.

“When I made inquiries, I was told the former place they were using was blocking the drainage and it was leading to a lot of problems. The UI Ventures people that come to pack the refuse don’t come often, so because it was behind the hall, the waste just piled up and blocked the flow of water.”

However, the relocation has created a different challenge.

The Health Minister described the present collection point, located near the entrance to the hall, as unsightly and said it detracts from the appearance of the residence.

“Left to me, I would even say that it’s defacing Awo. I don’t like it.”

She said hall management has explored possible interventions, including constructing a more structured enclosure around the dumpsite to contain the waste, but those efforts have been limited by administrative procedures.

“I even suggested that they could build something with bricks so the cleaners could dump the refuse into it and lock it up, so it doesn’t mess the whole area. But even if you have money to do something, you cannot do it until you get permission from the right authorities.”

According to her, the Hall Warden had already escalated the matter to higher university authorities but had yet to receive approval for any structural intervention.

“The last conversation I had with the Hall Warden was that she had reached the highest authority she could, and the person was not ready to take any step.”

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In the meantime, she said the hall’s immediate response has been to repeatedly contact the waste contractor whenever the collection point becomes full. However, she noted that obtaining a response has not always been straightforward.

“Even when you call them, it’s not every time they respond. The number I had, I was later given another number, and nobody responded. So I now communicate through the supervisor of our cleaners because she has a contact she reaches out to. She’s really the one ensuring that they eventually come and pack it.”

Even then, she said, the evacuation is often only partial.

“I don’t think they’ve ever cleared the place completely. They just pack part of it so there will be space to continue using it. At times, it’s just so messy.”

Experts Warn of Public Health Risks

While residents described the immediate inconvenience of delayed waste evacuation, environmental health experts say the implications extend far beyond unpleasant odours.

Speaking with IndyPress, Professor Godson Ana, of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, said prolonged accumulation of refuse poses both immediate and long-term health risks to people living, studying and working around affected areas.

According to him, one of the first consequences of poor waste management is the nuisance it creates through persistent foul odours, unsightliness and irritation, all of which can affect residents’ psychological well-being.

“The immediate effect is the nuisance. The odour is there. It is unsightly and it can affect the psychological wellbeing of people living around the area.”

Beyond these immediate effects, he explained that accumulated waste attracts disease vectors such as flies, cockroaches and rodents, which can contaminate food and water and increase the risk of foodborne and water-related diseases.

“Vectors are associated with filth. You have insect vectors like flies, cockroaches and rodents that infest the waste. They also migrate into residential and public spaces. When they perch on food or contaminate water, they can contribute to foodborne illnesses and other infections.”

Professor Ana added that prolonged exposure to poorly managed refuse, particularly during the rainy season, could increase the prevalence of communicable diseases by creating breeding sites for mosquitoes and harbouring other disease-carrying animals.

“When you have receptacles that collect water and heaps of refuse that remain for long periods, they provide breeding spaces for mosquitoes and hideouts for other animals. This increases the prevalence of communicable diseases and exposes residents to additional health hazards.”

The professor also warned against the practice of open waste burning, which IndyPress observed in parts of the Abadina community during the investigation.

According to him, burning refuse releases harmful gases and particulate matter that can impair respiratory health, while prolonged exposure to some combustion products may have more severe health consequences.

“The burning of waste releases gaseous emissions and particulate matter. Carbon monoxide can cause asphyxiation, while particulate matter affects respiratory function. Depending on the duration of exposure, some pollutants are also associated with more serious health disorders.”

After reviewing photographs taken by IndyPress at several refuse collection points across the university, Professor Ana said the existence of designated collection points was not necessarily the primary concern. Instead, he identified delayed evacuation as the major problem.

“You are not supposed to experience overflow from waste collection points if the frequency of refuse evacuation is optimal. One of the major challenges is that waste is not being evacuated frequently enough. Perhaps that is related to certain constraints. There could be administrative constraints tied to funding. Maybe the contractors are not being paid on time, or there is inadequate oversight and supervision from the management. The reasons could be multifactorial.

“Having designated locations for refuse collection is not the issue. In any settlement or community, there will always be designated points for waste collection. To a large extent, where these places have been designated, I think it is still fair. The major challenge is the frequency of evacuation. If that is handled properly, we will not experience the overflow and the nuisance the refuse is constituting across the campus.

Beyond the immediate concerns of overflowing refuse, Professor Ana argued that addressing the problem requires institutional reforms to the university’s environmental health administration.

“There also has to be an unbundling of the university’s administrative structure. The Environmental Health Services is currently subsumed under the University Health Services, and I think it should be decentralised. When funding is appropriated to the University Health Services, a greater proportion naturally goes to clinical healthcare, while environmental health considerations take the back seat. Yet environmental health is the foundation of public health.

‘More than 70 per cent of the health issues that eventually present at Jaja Clinic are environmentally related. If we want to prevent waterborne diseases, respiratory illnesses and other environmental health problems, then environmental health control measures must receive dedicated funding. Environmental Health Services should operate under its own directorate or department with direct funding and proper administrative oversight.”

He also stressed that the university should move beyond treating waste simply as something to be collected and disposed of, advocating a more sustainable approach that prioritises waste segregation, recycling and resource recovery.

“We should move beyond simply collecting refuse and transporting it to dump sites. The university should educate the entire community on waste segregation at source. Departments, offices and residential areas should have properly labelled receptacles for biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste. Waste should be separated into paper, plastic, metal, glass and other categories, with designated recycling centres established on campus.”

“Waste has value. Recycling would create opportunities for revenue generation, practical training and job creation. Rather than seeing waste as something to be discarded, we should recognise it as a resource. With proper segregation, more frequent collection and functional recycling centres, the university will be better off environmentally and economically.” he added.

The Bigger Picture

The waste management crisis ultimately exposes a deeper multiple interconnected problems. From delays in refuse evacuation, inadequate waste infrastructure, unsuitable collection points and operational setbacks which has resulted in the accumulation of waste across parts of the campus.

Although refuse evacuation resumed in some locations during the reporting period, observations over a few weeks indicate that the university’s interventions remain largely reactive. Without sustained improvements to collection schedules, infrastructure and oversight, the cycle of accumulation and emergency evacuation is likely to continue. Most importantly impacting the health and wellbeing of the thousands of students and staff who live, work and study on the campus.