HOUSEHOLD SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN THE URBAN COMMUNE OF DIFFA, NIGER: PRACTICES, PERCEPTIONS AND GOVERNANCE CHALLENGES

Rapid population growth, urbanization and changing consumption patterns are increasing the quantity and complexity of household solid waste generated in low- and middle-income cities. In Niger, solid waste management remains constrained by limited infrastructure, weak institutional coordination, predominantly informal collection practices and very limited source separation. In the urban commune of Diffa, these constraints are particularly important because household waste is largely managed individually and disposed of at nearby uncontrolled dumpsites. This study assessed household solid waste-management practices, knowledge and perceptions, as well as selected governance and willingness-to-pay dimensions in the urban commune of Diffa, Niger.  A cross-sectional household survey was conducted from August to September 2026 using a structured questionnaire administered through Kobo Collect. Simple random sampling was used to select 152 households distributed across 13 neighbourhoods. Data were exported to Excel for organization and graphical presentation, while descriptive statistical analyses and willingness-to-pay calculations were performed using Minitab 18.  Kitchen waste was reported by 89.47% of households and packaging waste by 60.53%. A majority of households (58.55%) had no waste container, while 41.45% used a container. Source separation was completely absent (100% of surveyed households). Children were reported to empty household waste containers in approximately 79% of households, and waste was mainly transported by hand (about 73%). Nearly three-quarters of households (73.03%) used dumpsites located within 100 m of their homes. Although 70% of respondents reported knowledge of waste management and 80.92% recognized recycling as an opportunity for waste recovery, 89% did not know the applicable waste-management rules and regulations. Moreover, 54.61% expressed willingness to pay a sanitation tax, with an estimated conditional willingness to pay of 283.13 FCFA per household per month and an adjusted average of 154.61 FCFA. The findings reveal a substantial gap between general awareness of waste-management issues and the availability of effective services, infrastructure, and regulatory knowledge. Strengthening participatory municipal governance, environmental awareness, source separation, organized collection and local waste-recovery initiatives could improve household waste management in Diffa.