INTEGRATING THE INFORMAL WASTE ECONOMY: STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP IN HYBRID WASTE SYSTEMS

This study examined the integration of the informal waste economy through strategic management and transformational leadership in hybrid waste-management systems in Nigeria. The study was motivated by the growing volume of waste, inadequate formal waste-management infrastructure, limited recycling capacity, and the insufficient integration of informal waste workers into formal waste-management structures. The study specifically examined the influence of strategic planning and stakeholder collaboration on the integration of the informal waste economy. A quantitative research approach and survey research design were adopted. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to selected stakeholders comprising formal waste-management personnel, private waste operators, informal waste workers, recycling operators, and community representatives. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were employed to analyse the data, while the hypotheses were tested at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings indicated that strategic planning had a significant positive influence on the integration of the informal waste economy, with an R² of 0.465 and a significance level of 0.000. Stakeholder collaboration also had a significant positive influence, with an R² of 0.534 and a significance level of 0.000. The study concluded that strategic planning, stakeholder collaboration and transformational leadership are essential for developing effective hybrid waste-management systems. It recommended formal recognition, stakeholder partnerships, capacity development, improved occupational safety, technological innovation, and stronger policy coordination to enhance Nigeria's circular waste economy.

Funding: This is a fully self-funded research

Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Ethics Approval: Not_applicable

Data Availability: Data will be made available upon reasonable request

AI-Assisted Writing: No AI tools were used in the preparation of this manuscript.