Awareness, Attitude and Practices of Environmental Sanitation by Informal Sector Partakers in Barkin-Ladi Town Plateau State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examines the Awareness and Practices of Environmental Sanitation by informal sector participants in Barkin-ladi town Plateau State, Nigeria. The objective of this study is to determine the efficiency of environmental sanitation practice by informal sector participants and to suggest an appropriate framework for efficient waste collection and disposal. Data was collected using a pretested, semi structured, interviewer administered questionnaire. A total number of 187 questionnaires were administered on the three categories of informal sector activities with trading (63 percent); cottage industries (14 percent) and tertiary services (23 percent) of the sample size. Descriptive analyses were done with frequencies and summary statistics to assess the respondents’ Awareness and practices of environmental sanitation. The results revealed that indiscriminate waste disposal is a common attribute of the informal sector operators: disposal of waste in open spaces constitute 54.5 percent, dumping in drainages constitute 49.7 percent while burning was 30.5 percent. 41 percent of the respondents observed monthly sanitation, 24 percent engaged in weekly sanitation. 19 percent engage in daily sanitation while 16 percent do not undertake any form of environmental sanitation. A lot of attention is still required in the development of basic sanitation infrastructure and also, in the promotion of strategies or interventions that influence behavioral change towards environmental sanitation especially by the informal sector operators in developing countries likes Nigeria.

Keywords: Knowledge, attitude, practices, environmental sanitation, informal sector participants