Creating a GIS geodatabase for waste management: A case study of University of Lagos

Solid waste is a major environmental problem in many developing cities of the world including Lagos, Nigeria. University of Lagos located in Lagos State is not an exception. Preliminary findings indicate that the University of Lagos, Akoka campus generates about 32.2 tons of waste daily and has an existing method of management which has its challenges of frequency of collection, sorting, and recycling. The current management plan can be made to be automated which will be more effective, efficient, and environmentally sustainable. Incorporating the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) in the field of Solid Waste Management (SWM), is a major way of achieving this. In this study, data were acquired using two methods: the first was field based, which included direct field observations using GPS, questionnaires and interviews; and the second was image based, which is Google Earth satellite image data of the University of Lagos. A geo-database was created, and several spatial analyses were performed using ArcGIS 10.6 and MySQL software. To ensure a workable model, the model created was tested to assess the issues arising in the management of wastes in the University. In conclusion, the model created serves as a useful alternative method in managing waste in the University.