Tropentag, September 18 - 20, 2019 in Kassel "Filling gaps and removing traps for sustainable resources development"

Pro-Environmental Awareness of Nigerian Youths

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Fac. of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech Republic

Abstract

Many studies on environmental knowledge have focused mostly on advanced regions, however developing countries need to step up their role in the fight against climate change which sets this study apart from other studies as it includes perspectives from developing countries. There are two opposing views on the relationship between environmental knowledge and pro-environmental behaviour (PEB). First, is the concept that environmental knowledge sets the basis for social behaviour that would lead to sustainable practice, however some cases have reported that having environmental education at university may not be enough to produce graduates who behave pro-environmentally in the society. Therefore, this study intends to address the environmental situation in Nigeria through the following research questions: What are the factors that determine pro-environmental behaviour and agricultural interest in Nigerian youths? What do Nigerian youths do (if they do anything e.g. recycling) in their daily lives to minimise their contribution to climate change? Does environmental knowledge translate to pro-environmental action among Nigerian youths? The methodology is based on a quantitative survey approach involving paper and online questionnaires targeting students sampled from two Nigerian universities focusing on agriculture and engineering. Data is coded then imputed for analysis using SPSS. For independent samples, comparisons between two groups of students (looking at gender and discipline) are carried out. To analyse student's knowledge, factor analysis is applied and generalised linear regression model is used to examine the main determinants of PEB. Theory of planned behaviour (TPB) is used to develop a model identifying/ explaining individual factors of PEB and pro-environmental awareness among Nigerian youths. Finally, sustainability knowledge is measured using the sustainability literacy test (SLT). Based on preliminary results, Nigerian students from agricultural university show higher awareness on climate change issue than students from other universities and higher PEB than other students. This study contributes to limited research on pro-environmental issues in Nigeria and can be replicated in other developing countries to bridge research gap in this field and regions.

Keywords: Agriculture, climate change, developing countries, pro-environmental behaviour, sustainable development, TBP

Contact Address: Loveth Aikowe, Czech Univeristy of Life Sciences Prague, Fac. of Tropical Agrisciences - Dept. of Economics and Development, Kamýcká 129, 16500 Prague - Suchdol, Czech Republic, e-mail: aikowelftz.czu.cz