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Students’ attitudes to solid waste management in a Nigerian university: Implications for campus-based sustainability education

Ayodeji Peter Ifegbesan (Department of Geography, Environmental Management and Energy Studies, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa and Department of Arts and Social Sciences Education, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Nigeria)
Biodun Ogunyemi (Department of Arts and Social Sciences Education, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Nigeria)
Isaac T. Rampedi (Department of Geography, Environmental Management and Energy Studies, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa)

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education

ISSN: 1467-6370

Article publication date: 6 November 2017

1384

Abstract

Purpose

Waste management is a critical element of the campus sustainability movement in which Nigerian universities are yet to actively participate. The purpose of this study was to investigate prevalent waste management practices and the disposition of undergraduate students in a Nigerian University.

Design/methodology/approach

Data collection involved the use of a questionnaire, focus group discussion and participative observation. Respondents consisted of 840 students drawn from four academic faculties of the university. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to address the research questions raised to guide the investigation.

Findings

Indiscriminate littering, open dumping of waste, weedy and overgrown lawns, proliferation of power generating sets, uncollected refuse sites and defaced walls with postings were the major observed environmental challenges. Open burning of refuse was found to be the single most prevalent way of managing large volumes of waste generated on the university campus. Although the problems were widespread, only 40.5 per cent of the students expressed serious concern for the solid waste practices. Also, while the students were positively disposed to innovative ways of addressing the challenge of waste management in the university, there were significant differences in students’ awareness and disposition according to sex, age, academic level and faculties.

Research limitations/implications

The implications of the findings for campus-based sustainability education are discussed.

Originality/value

This study is an original research article which interrogated the students’ attitudes to solid waste management in a Nigerian University. It used a combination of both qualitative and quantitative techniques, such as questionnaire, focus group discussion and participative observation.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to sincerely and gratefully acknowledge the co-operation received from all student participants who provided the data collected in this case study.

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Citation

Ifegbesan, A.P., Ogunyemi, B. and Rampedi, I.T. (2017), "Students’ attitudes to solid waste management in a Nigerian university: Implications for campus-based sustainability education", International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 18 No. 7, pp. 1244-1262. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-03-2016-0057

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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