The Necessity of Media Advocacy Campaign against Open Defecation in and around Streambeds in Apa Local Government Area of Benue State

This study on the topic: "the necessity of media advocacy campaign against open defecation in and around streambeds in Apa Local Government Area of Benue State" examines the efficacy of media advocacy in addressing or reversing the common practice of residents defecating in the open especially in and around streambeds. It is a common practice that poses serious adverse effects on the environment, health and well-being of the collective existence of residents with or without their knowing. It is a disturbingly complicated practice because it is usually done at the banks of streams or in areas of close proximity. Unfortunately, these streams which usually serve as the main or in some cases, the only source of water for domestic purposes such as bathing, washing, cooking and even drinking often become a cesspool for contracting water-borne diseases. To this end, the study argues that open defecation is an agelong practice that modernity is addressing with a more healthy sanitary approach which encourages the provision of toilet facilities in the enclosure of homes. While this approach to infrastructure design has gained traction and is being entrenched in cities through regulatory agencies like established Urban Development Agency, the situation is not the same in rural areas. While urban centers are not extricated from this unfortunate situation, rural communities like Apa Local Government of Benue State, Nigeria continue to be predisposed to the practice of open defecation. However, it is believed that needed changes will spread and residents will begin to be accustomed to the toilets instead of defecating in the open because like the common maxim, "knowledge is power" and the power of knowing births change. The study is an empirical research that applied both qualitative and quantitative research design. According to the report of National Population Census (2006) which projected the population growth at 2.3%, puts the figure of Apa L.G.A. at 137,900 spread across the council wards and villages. Stratified random sampling was adopted for the study. The theoretical framework is anchored on agenda setting and cognitive dissonance theories. The paper concludes that open defecation continues to be a social malaise that requires concerted conscientization for sustained positive social behavioral changes.