Poor plastic waste management remains one of the major challenges confronting the sustainable health security of rural and urban residents in Nigeria. The risks associated with the ugly incidence ranged from contamination of water sources and food chain, air pollution to chemical exposure with varying degrees of harm of human health. This study therefore, is a comparative assessment of the effects of poor plastic waste management on health security of rural and urban residents of Makurdi Local Government Area in Benue State, Nigeria. The focus was to examine the health risks which rural and urban residents in the area suffer as a result of improper or poor management of plastic waste products.

Data were gathered from 400 respondents primarily through the use of semi – structured questionnaire (SSQ), while the supplementary tools were personal observation and secondary data sources like books, journals and other relevant online materials. Findings of the study revealed that poor management of plastic waste products has very severe harm on the health security of residents in the study area. The study concludes that plastic waste compromises the health security standards of both residents and the environment therefore, it should be managed effectively. The study recommends the initiation of an action plan to encourage behavioral change towards plastic waste management and investment in infrastructural development by both private and public agencies to manage waste effectively as part of the measures to tackle the menace.