Factors Predicting Plastic Bag pollution in West African Cities: Insights from Niamey, the capital of Niger Republic

Abstract

In many West African cities, plastic bags waste pose numerous threats such as; pollution,  blockade of wastewater channels, and alteration of the attractiveness of the cities. However, the government of the Republic of Niger has launched a program namely called ‘‘Niamey Nyala’’ to rebuild the image of the capital of Niger and to respond to a modern city. This study seeks to explore the factors predicting plastic bag waste pollution in Niamey, the capital of the Niger Republic by using a multinomial logistic regression model. The results showed that the use of plastic bags to purchase both breakfast items and, products and goods from the shops, the number of times a plastic bag unit is used predicted positively and significantly the population daily use rate of plastic bags. However, the population habit to pay for plastic bags predicted negatively and significantly their daily use rate of plastic bags. In Niger republic, the policymakers should enforce various measures such as taxing plastic bags and sensitizing religious and political leaders to address the ongoing plastic bag waste pollution. This could maitain sustain  the country capital attractiveness and beyond to adress the plastic bag waste in the country.