A country cannot be sustainable if it generates more waste than it can assimilate. Before sustainable development can be achieved in any country, a clear understanding of its political economy will be necessary. But in Nigeria, it has been found that there are no clearly formulated policies aimed at coordinating and monitoring the relationship between the environment and Economic development. The problem of waste management has become a debilitating factor towards the socio-economic development in Nigeria. This study therefore was carried out to review series of challenges militating against sustainable waste management in Nigeria; Disposal behavior of the people, government participations and prospects in sustainable waste management. The research work made use of basically primary data for the sake of collecting data. Precisely 105 samples were obtained from an undefined population of all state of the Environmental and Sanitation agencies in the five South Eastern States of Nigeria. Data obtained from the Questionnaire were analyzed with simple percentages. The study revealed that waste management has a significant close association with its numerous challenges in Nigeria. The study shows that majority of the people believe that waste management is the sole responsibility of the government hence, the negative attitude towards waste management in the country. The research also submits that government agencies are either not doing their work or they are understaffed with just 13.2% effectiveness. The study further posits that improper waste disposal habits of the people; corruption and inconsistencies in policies still remain the major challenges. The research concluded that if waste management is seen as an opportunity, government and individuals can earn good revenue from waste management business apart from creating positive impact in the society.