AWARENESS OF CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES, AND ISSUES IN CLIMATE CHANGE AMONG SELECTED NIGERIANS 1 (original) (raw)

Climate change (CC) is a major contemporary environmental challenge. Many scholarly works have been done on the subject. However, empirical studies on the level of awareness of climate change among Nigerian citizens are not sufficient to inform public opinion and policy. This study therefore examined awareness of CC, its causes and consequences and feelings, perceptions, and attitude about climate change among selected undergraduates and civil servants in Nigeria. The study adopted survey research design. A questionnaire titled "Survey of Concerns and Awareness of Climate change among Undergraduates and Civil Servants in Nigeria" was administered on a sample of 370 students of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti and 150 civil servants in Federal Ministry of Health and Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja. Bourley’s formula was used to determine the sample size. Participants were selected using convenience and stratified random sampling techniques. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics. About 58% of respondents were aware of CC, while 28.4% were not aware. University education (19.8%), newspaper (14.9%), radio (10%) and television (9.8%) were the most regular sources of learning about CC. About 63% of respondents believe that CC is unlinked with human activities; comprising 42.9% who believed that CC is caused by natural processes and 20% who believed it is an act of God. Only 23.8% believed it is either solely human activity or a combination of human activity and natural processes, while the remaining 13.3% of respondents did not believe in climate change. In the absence of ‘Natural Processes’ and ‘Act of God’, only 27.4% of respondents linked contributing activities to micro activities of individuals such as using gas and electricity as home, majority (72.6%) only identified macro activities such as destruction of forests. Over 50% of our respondents blamed CC on the government (29.4%) and nature (23%), 21.2% blamed everybody, while 16.7% blamed the oil companies. Sixty-nine per cent linked future consequences of CC to water/rain-related issues that have direct effects on their daily lives such as less rain and hotter temperature (22.4%), more rain (14.7%), increased erosion 13.3%; only 0.9% linked it with destruction of public utilities, while no respondent linked it with such things as destruction of private business and properties or intrusion of salt into sources of drinking water. About 87% of respondents were either unsure of their feelings, feel powerless about CC, or were in a state of disbelief. Only 7.5%, comprising entirely of undergraduates, were hopeful about CC. Majority of respondents (73.5%) put the responsibility of tackling CC on government (29.4%), or Environmental organizations (22.9%), or International organisations (21.2%). Only 9.8% lay this responsibility on individuals’ doorsteps. When compared with four other social issues that should be government priority, CC was ranked fifth, that is, last (11.8%). Improving health services (33.3%), anti-terrorism (20.6%), economic growth (17.3%), improve education (16%). Despite Nigeria’s vulnerability to climate change, the educated members of the public possess critically low level of awareness on how individual micro activities contribute to climate change and how its future consequences will negatively impact individual’s normal lives. Hence, the motivation for responsible relationship with the environment is low. Therefore, there is need for affirmative action by government and other stakeholders to properly educate and enlighten the masses about the realities of climate change. Keywords: Climate change, civil servants, Nigeria, undergraduates.