Barriers to plastic waste management in urban Nigeria: a systematic review of Lagos state evidence

Abstract

Urban plastic waste management in sub-Saharan Africa remains a major environmental governance challenge, yet barriers to effective management in Nigerian cities remain insufficiently understood. This systematic review synthesised primary empirical evidence on barriers to plastic waste management in urban Nigeria, with particular focus on Lagos State, to inform policy and identify evidence gaps. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, four electronic databases were searched, and six primary empirical studies published between 2014 and 2025 were included. Data were extracted using a standardised framework and synthesised through narrative analysis by barrier category. Six categories were identified: infrastructural, behavioural, financial, awareness and knowledge, policy and legislative, and governance and institutional. Infrastructural barriers were most consistently reported, followed by financial and behavioural barriers. Although governance and institutional barriers had the lowest weighted frequency score, they appeared to influence other categories. Barriers were broadly consistent across urban Nigerian contexts, but their manifestations differed. Lagos showed service inadequacy within a formally developed system, while Ilorin exhibited more acute infrastructure gaps. The findings indicate that plastic waste management failure reflects interconnected barriers rather than isolated constraints. Integrated responses addressing infrastructure, affordability, regulation and public awareness are required. Future research should prioritise governance, comparative multi-city evidence and longitudinal evaluation