Assessment of Wood Waste Management Practices in Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in Minna, Niger State.

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to assess the management practices adopted by small and medium scale enterprises in managing wood waste in Nigeria. Wood waste mismanagement is a serious environmental threat in Niger State. The evident disposal of wood wastes on the streets, water bodies and the open air burning indicates that wood waste management practices which includes the collection, disposal, recycling and reuse of wood waste are inefficient and insufficient and therefore will pose a great threat the sustenance of Nigerian timber forests, human health and environmental balance. The objectives of the study are to identify: wood waste collection practices, wood waste recycling practices and wood waste disposal practices in SMEs in Niger State. The study adopted Survey research design. Data were collected from administration of questionnaire.The population of the study was 17 respondents. The respondents were drawn from six medium scale enterprises and 11 small scale enterprises in Minna, Niger State. Survey was carried out to identify SMEs in the study area. The respondents for the study were drawn from 6 medium scale enterprises and 11 small scale enterprises. The total population was used for the study hence there was no sampling technique. Data collected from the questionnaire was analyzed using Mean and Standard deviation and t-test. Mean and standard deviation was used to answer the research questions, while t-test was used to test the Null Hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study on wood waste collection revealed that wood waste generated in SMEs are collected by poultry and animal farmers and used as animal beddings and others are collected by households and used as cooking fuel, the remnant of the wastes are burnt while others are used as landfills. The findings also revealed that wood waste are not collected by waste collection agencies nor composite boards manufacturing industries. The findings on wood waste recycling practices revealed that there are facilities for recycling, treatment and sorting of wood waste in Minna. In addition, there are wood waste disposal, storage or incineration facilities in Minna. Therefore, this study recommends that the agencies and bodies that are mandated to check and regulate wood waste should be appraised annually to ensure that their duties are effectively carried out. It is also important that necessary facilities for waste collection, storage and recycling should be made available in Niger State by the government so as to maximize wood waste utilization and create wealth and jobs in the state.