ATTITUDE OF UNDERGRADUATES TOWARDS GOVERNMENT INTERVENTIONS IN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN SOUTH WEST, NIGERIA

This research investigated the perceptions of undergraduate students regarding governmental involvement in environmental matters within the Southwestern region of Nigeria. Furthermore, this research analyzed the variances in the perceptions of undergraduates concerning governmental interventions in environmental issues within Southwestern Nigeria, specifically considering gender and institutional affiliation. A descriptive survey research design was utilized in the execution of this study. The participant population consisted of all university undergraduates situated in Southwestern Nigeria. A sample comprising 1752 male and female undergraduates from Federal, State, and Private universities was employed for the analysis. A multistage sampling technique was applied for the selection of the sample. The instrument utilized for data collection was the “Questionnaire on Attitude of Undergraduates towards Government Interventions in Environmental Issues (QAUGIEI). The validity of this instrument was affirmed through both face and content validity assessments, while the reliability of the QAUGIEI was determined via the Cronbach Alpha method, yielding an alpha coefficient of 0.74, which is regarded as sufficiently high and reliable for the purposes of this study. The administration of the instrument was conducted by the researcher, assisted by one research aide at each of the selected universities. The data acquired for this study were analyzed employing both descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Descriptive statistics, including frequency counts, means, and percentages, were utilized to address the research questions, whereas inferential statistics, specifically t-tests and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), were employed to evaluate the hypotheses at a significance level of 0.05. The results of the study indicated that university undergraduates possessed a favorable attitude towards governmental interventions in environmental issues within Southwestern Nigeria. Additionally, the findings disclosed a statistically significant difference in the attitudes of male and female undergraduates regarding governmental interventions in environmental matters, as well as a significant discrepancy in the attitudes of undergraduates based on the ownership of their universities. In light of the findings of this study, it is recommended that university administrations enhance their efforts towards environmental education programs to furnish students with comprehensive knowledge that will positively influence their attitudes towards governmental interventions in environmental issues, irrespective of their gender or university affiliation.. Keywords: Attitude, Undergraduates, Government Interventions, Environmental Issues, Gender, Ownership of University