Media Choice in Environmental Information Dissemination for Solid Waste Management among Policy Formulators and Implementors: A Case Study of Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Environmental information has been described as central to the issues of solid waste management and disposal. This study investigated the availability and accessibility of environmental information to the solid waste policy formulators and implementors with regard to the media/channels used for disseminating environmental information to the public. A descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. A purposive sampling technique was used to select the sample and the method produced 205 respondents that consisted of 185 Policy Implementors and 20 Policy Formulators. A total of 147 cases were finally analyzed, which included 16 Policy Formulators (80% of total sample) and 131 Policy Implementors (71% of total sample). Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as percentages and frequency counts. Findings show that the Policy Implementors preferred the use of personal contact as the channel for disseminating environmental information, whereas the Policy Formulators relied on the use of posters, radio/TV talks, and professional meetings. Some barriers to disseminating information to the public included: lack of access to information sources, lack of standards for acquisition of information, and lack of funds to publish information materials.