Assessment of Environmental Awareness and Inculcation of Environmental Education among Major Actors on the Environment Scene in Owerri, Imo State

Abstract

This study assesses levels of environmental awareness and the extent to which environmental education (EE) is inculcated among major actors on the environment scene in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria — including residents, market traders, educators, government environmental officers, and civil society organizations. Using a mixed-methods design, the research combines a structured household and stakeholder survey (n = 720), semi-structured interviews (n = 30), and focus groups with observational transects across Owerri municipal wards. Key outcomes measured were: environmental knowledge, attitudes, self-reported pro-environmental behaviours, exposure to environmental education programs, and institutional capacity for environmental education. Results show moderate awareness of general environmental issues (waste, sanitation, air pollution), limited depth of knowledge about causes and long-term impacts (e.g., climate change), uneven access to formal environmental education (stronger in tertiary institutions; weaker among informal sector actors), and constrained institutional capacity for systematic environmental education across municipal agencies. Findings indicate that community mobilization, digital communication, and integration of environmental education into teacher training are promising leverage points (see Results and Discussion). Policy recommendations promote multi-stakeholder environmental education programming, curriculum strengthening, and targeted campaigns in marketplaces and neighborhood associations.