A Survey of Attitudes of Selected Nigeria’s Towards Energy Issues
A Survey of Attitudes of Selected Nigeria’s Towards Energy Issues
Introduction
Renewable and sustainable environmental energy is becoming a concern globally in countries developing including Nigeria. This is due to waste management in Nigeria. Most cities in developing nations encourage open dumping, and dumpsites are not controlled. This has resulted to health, safety and environmental issues. The combination of organic waste and plastic leads to production of methane gas. Several cities like Bangkok and Manila have experienced build up of methane gas, fires and explosions (UNEP, 2005). The increase in population and urbanization has increased municipal solid waste generated. For instance, 38,000ton/day of refuse was collected in Thailand in 2002. A total of 29,000 ton/day of refuse was collected in 19923. The waste generated increased greatly between 1992 and 2002 (Chaya & Gheewala, 2006).
Waste management is a significant issue in developing nations like Nigeria. The population of Nigeria is projected to grow at 3.0% rate per year. The rapid growth in the country’s population has led to waste management problems. Several factors have affected the management of waste in Nigeria. Waste management is a debatable issue in Nigeria. Nigeria has no comprehensive strategy on sanitation. It has no comprehensive strategy on treatment of waste and dispose of waste. The federal, state and local governments have failed to formulate and implement policies to manage waste. In addition, the attitude and perception of the poor has influenced waste management in the country. The poor believe that waste management is a discriminatory concept.
The public attitude has affected waste management in Nigeria. Wealth is linked with lavish spending, which produces a large amount of waste as, by product. Thus, the poor in the society do not contribute to the management of waste as they do not produce waste. Also, people associate waste with poverty and dirt. This has made it hard for waste workers and citizens to cooperate to manage waste. The Nigerian government has not established education programs to educate the public on waste management. There are no public enlightment programs in the country, and hence the government has not managed to correct the dangerous public attitude towards waste management and the environment. Further, lack of finances has affected activities of the environmental agencies. This has hindered management of waste in the states(Ogwueleka, 2009).
Additionally, lack of technology has affected waste management. Nigeria does not have the current waste management technology. Also, the government provides facilities and equipment that do not fit the circumstance and cannot be utilized under the local conditions. The machines do not have local spares and waste workers do not have the expertise and skills to operate them. Nigeria has no waste recycling programs. Only a small amount of recyclables is stored at home including cans, plastics, papers and bottles. The recyclables are sold to scavengers. The activities of the scavengers have a negative effect on the environment dye to lack of institutional and economic support. Nigeria has only two disposal places. Waste in the country is disposed in water bodies, open dumps and landfills (Agunwamba, 1998).
Clogged drains are a major problem in various cities. The cities include Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kaduna and other highly populated cities. This has led to groundwater contamination and hence spread of diseases. Effective sold waste management in the country will need a holistic program that will integrate the technical, economic, physiological, social and cultural factors ignored in waste management programs. Waste management is a global problem which calls for utmost attention. The manufacturing, distribution and use of goods produce waste and hinder waste management. This has in turn, resulted to production of gases that cause climate change (Walton & Elliott, n.d.). Municipal solid waste refers to waste produced from residential, industrial, and commercial and construction services. It also includes waste produced from demolition, institutional and municipal activities (Hoornweg et al. 1999). The survey was aimed at determining the knowledge and attitude of Nigerians towards renewable energy.
Sampling procedure and survey mechanics
Survey is made up of questions specific to renewable energy. The first section has six questions. The second section of the survey surveys the option of the subjects in types of energy sources generation they thought will be appropriate for the country. This section has 11 questions. That is direct and indirect. The third section is similar to section two, and it determines the participant’s views regarding production of electricity and locating renewable energy plants. The participants identify the strengths and limitations of the plant. The section has ten questions. Another section is waste management and collection that has six questions. The last section has questions used to gather demographic information of the subjects.
A total of 300 participants were used in the study out of the 560 questionnaires sent out. This represents 53.5% response and success rate confidence and degree of precision. The survey sample consists of Nigerians. The participants consisted of university students, local government officials and individuals. The internet helped establish connections with a target sample that represents the 35 states of Nigeria. 10 collectors were utilized. Six of them were university graduates, two university lecturers and two assistances. The survey was conducted within a reasonable time with the approval of the university ethics committee. It was in line with the law. The survey was carried out over a period of 6 months. The participants lived inside and outside Nigeria. However, a large number of the participants used in the study lived in Nigeria as shown by the chart below:. 65.5% of the participants lived in Nigeria while 34.5% lived outside Nigeria. The participants answered several questions related to Energy issues in Nigeria. The questions are found in the appendix.
Opinion on energy issues
In order to determine the attitude of the residents on energy issues in Nigeria, the participants answered several questions (Sambo, 2009). The first set of questions requested the opinion of the participants on several energy related to the topic. The questions were vital as they enabled the Nigerians to assess their attitude about energy issues and environmental problems in the country. This would in turn resolve the management of waste in the country and energy issues (Ayotamuno, Gobo, 2004).
The first question determined the views and opinions of the participants of energy issues. The response showed that 56.7% of the participants followed energy issues closely and 33.3% sometimes pay attention to energy problems.6.7% of the participants rarely thought about energy issues and 3.3% never thought about energy issues as shown below;
|
Energy Generation From Waste in Developig Countries:(A Nigerian Case Study ) |
|||
| What answer best describe your views and opinion of energy issues? | |||
| Answer Options |
Response Percent |
Response Count |
|
| a) I FOLLOW issues very closely |
56.7% |
170 |
|
| b) I SOMETIMES pay attention to energy issues |
33.3% |
100 |
|
| c) I RARELY think about energy issues |
6.7% |
20 |
|
| d) I NEVER think about energy issue |
3.3% |
10 |
|
|
answered question |
300 |
||
|
skipped question |
0 |
||
|
100.0% |
300 |
||
The next question determined the participants level of interest on the impact of burning of fossil fuels on the environment. The participants had different interest levels (Sambo, 2009). A large number of the participants(56.7%) had an interest on how burning of fossil fuel affected the environment.40.3% showed some interest on the effect burning of fossil had on the environment. Only 3.0% of the participants did not show any interest on the burning of fossil fuel and its effect on the environment (Agunwamba, 1998).
Renewable energy as a source of electricity production
The participants gave their views regarding various issues related to electricity such as cost, reliability among others. The next question requested participants opinion on the cost of electricity to them as consumers. It determined whether the participants had an interest on cost of electricity. 39.3% of the subjects had a lot of interest on the cost of electricity and 60% had some interest on the cost of electricity. 0.7% of the participants did not have an interest on the cost of electricity (Ogwueleka, 2009).
|
Energy Generation From Waste |
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| The cost of electricity to you as a consumer ? | |||
| Answer Options |
Response Percent |
Response Count |
|
| a) No interest |
0.7% |
2 |
|
| b) some interest |
60.0% |
180 |
|
| c) a great deal of interest |
39.3% |
118 |
|
|
answered question |
300 |
||
|
skipped question |
0 |
||
|
100.0% |
300 |
||
Also, the participants provided their opinion on reliability of energy supplly. The participants were concerned with the reliability of their energy suplly.51.9% of the participants were more concerned with the reliability of energy supplly. 42.1% and 6.1% of the participants showed some concern and no concern with the reliability of energy supplly respectively. Thus, the participants showed concern with the reliability of energy supplly (Ogwueleka, 2009).
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Energy Generation From Waste |
|||
| The reliability of your energy supply ? | |||
| Answer Options |
Response Percent |
Response Count |
|
| a) No interest |
6.1% |
18 |
|
| b) some interest |
42.1% |
125 |
|
| c) a great deal of interest |
51.9% |
154 |
|
|
answered question |
297 |
||
|
skipped question |
3 |
||
|
100.0% |
297 |
||
However, the participants had different views on the importation of oil. Most of the participants did not show a lot of interest in the importation of energy (63.5%). Only 33.1% showed interest on the importation of energy. 3.3% did not show any interest on oil importation (Sambo, 2009).
The participants showed concern for nuclear plant safety and disposal of waste (Sambo, 2009). Most participants (47.7%) were less concerned with the safety of nuclear plants and disposal of nuclear waste. 44.6% showed a lot of concern with the nuclear plant safety and disposal of waste. 7.7% did not show concern. Thus, most participants did not wish to see the government generating nuclear energy as it would affect safety. Also, poor management of waste from the plants would affect their health and environment (Oguntoyinbo, 2012).
Moreover, the participants had varied views about the generation of electricity from coal. Most participants (50.2%) did not support burning of coal to produce electricity as it emits greenhouse gases that cause environmental pollution. 36.8% wanted the government to continue producing electricity by burning coal while 13.0% did not know. Many participants supported the utilization of energy sources that could renewed to produce electricity instead of coal as they have no environmental effect as they do not emit green house gases (Sambo, 2009).
|
Energy Generation From Waste |
|||
| This section looks at your opinion regarding Renewable Energy. What is your opinion about the sources and generation of electricity, Should we be getting electricity from Burning coal? | |||
| Answer Options |
Response Percent |
Response Count |
|
| A. More |
36.8% |
110 |
|
| B. Same |
0.0% |
0 |
|
| C. less |
50.2% |
150 |
|
| D. Don’t know |
13.0% |
39 |
|
|
answered question |
299 |
||
|
skipped question |
1 |
||
|
100.0% |
300 |
||
Though nuclear energy does not emit green house gases and most countries consider it an effective energy source, many residents in Nigeria do not support production of nuclear energy. This is mainly due to its safety, disposal of waste and impact on the environment.41.9% of the subjects wanted less nuclear power to be produced and 37.9% more energy produced.16.8 % had no idea, and 3.4% wanted the same amount of nuclear energy to be produced. The results have an effect on nuclear power production in Nigeria as the government will invest in other renewable energy sources that are safer than nuclear energy (Sambo, 2009).
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Energy Generation From Waste |
|||
| Nuclear power? | |||
| Answer Options |
Response Percent |
Response Count |
|
| A. More |
37.9% |
113 |
|
| B. Same |
3.4% |
10 |
|
| C. less |
41.9% |
125 |
|
| D. Don’t know |
16.8% |
50 |
|
|
answered question |
298 |
||
|
skipped question |
2 |
||
|
100.0% |
298 |
||
The participants supported production of hydroelectric energy as it was safe and did not pollute the environment. 40.3% and 45.6% wanted more energy produced and the same amount of hydoelectric power produced respectively. 13.4% supported production of less hydroelectric energy and 0.7% did not know. Thus, the government can invest in hydroelectric power so as to meet the citizens energy needs (Sambo, 2009).
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Energy Generation From Waste |
|||
| Hydroelectric power? | |||
| Answer Options |
Response Percent |
Response Count |
|
| A. More |
40.3% |
120 |
|
| B. Same |
45.6% |
136 |
|
| C. less |
13.4% |
40 |
|
| D. Don’t know |
0.7% |
2 |
|
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