Smart Waste Management in African Cities: Assessing Stakeholder Readiness for IoT-Based Waste Collection in Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

Rapid urbanisation has intensified municipal solid waste-management challenges in African cities, where conventional collection systems often rely on fixed schedules and limited information about waste accumulation. Internet of Things (IoT)-based collection can improve monitoring and responsiveness, but its effectiveness depends on stakeholder acceptance and institutional and infrastructural capacity. This study assesses stakeholder readiness for IoT-based waste collection in Gwarimpa Estate, Abuja, Nigeria, using a mixed-method case-study design. Data were obtained from 380 valid household questionnaires, interviews with 20 key stakeholders and field observations. Descriptive statistics, mean scores and the Relative Importance Index (RII) were used to analyse the quantitative data, while interview and observation evidence was thematically examined. Respondents reported favourable perceptions of IoT-enabled waste collection, particularly regarding collection frequency (mean = 3.80; RII = 0.760), response time (mean = 3.83; RII = 0.765) and overall service performance (mean = 3.67; RII = 0.734). Real-time monitoring and decision-making received the highest rating (mean = 4.12; RII = 0.824), while government incentives were identified as the most important implementation requirement (mean = 4.07; RII = 0.814). The findings indicate relatively strong social readiness but weaker infrastructural and institutional readiness. Successful implementation will therefore require reliable electricity and connectivity, technical capacity, sustainable financing, institutional coordination and sustained public engagement.