Waste is a global environmental issue that is becoming most noted in developing countries. Public
attitudes towards reducing, reusing and recycling solid waste in the Makurdi Metropolitan area of
Nigeria have been sought, in tandem with their awareness of waste management options, to
determine the extent to which these various approaches are utilised and to identify strategic avenues
for improvement. To date, the waste management strategies of the study area, which are typical of
many developing countries, remain focused on more traditional waste collection and storage
methods (dumped outside the city limits in an uncontrolled landfill site) that are not conducive to
sustainable futures. Questionnaires were distributed (n = 560) throughout low (Zone I), medium
(Zone II) and high density (Zone III) population areas, with different income levels, and the
respondent data analysed (n = 545). These reveal that most respondents (>80%) in all of the three
zones are aware of solid waste reuse, recycling and reduction from source and that many of them
(>90%) are willing to participate in any associated schemes. Opinion on the responsibility for
managing waste was divided, with the most affluent neighbourhood (Zone III) believing the
government was accountable and the less affluent neighbourhoods disagreeing. Moreover, many
from the least affluent neighbourhood (Zone I) considered solid waste to be both a serious
environmental and public health risk. Concomitant with these findings, it is apparent that the
infrastructure and the societal means to facilitate solid waste reduction, reuse and recycling is drastically lacking. Since there is a clear public knowledge and willingness to engage in sustainable
waste management approaches, across all levels of society, it is recommended there is a shift in
local authority strategy towards a sustainable hierarchy and federal government funding be
forthcoming to make necessary infrastructure improvements and embrace public attitudes to solid
waste reduction, reuse and recycling.