Climate change has become a global issue of concern, manifesting in various forms such as extreme weather events, floods, temperature spikes, and irregular rainfall patterns. Adequate information and awareness about it are capable of mitigating its effects in the society. This study therefore investigated the perception and attitudes of the youth to climate change in Ibadan North Local Government area, Oyo State. The study utilized the Planned Behaviour Theory. A structured questionnaire employing Likert and dichotomous scales was used to gather data from 418 youths in the local government. Sample size was determined using Taro Yamane (1967) sampling formular. In-depth Interviews were also conducted with 6 youth including 4 political leaders and 2 students in the study location. Both quantitative and qualitative techniques of data analysis were utilized. Key findings revealed that 33.2% of the youths expressed concern over weather pattern changes, while 25.5% noted long-term temperature shifts. Awareness of climate change varied across study population, with youths with post-graduate degrees and first degrees reporting the highest awareness (98.8% and 95.8% respectively), contrasting with no formal education category (2.0%). Concern levels were notably high, with 67.2% worried about rising temperatures and 63.6% about floods. Despite awareness, only 29.7% reported engaging in climate change mitigation actions, through waste management (23.96%), environmental consciousness (19.8%) among others. Educational level (-0.026) and sex (-0.477) did not significantly influence perceptions of climate change mitigation efforts. The study shows the need for tailored educational programmes and targeted campaigns to enhance climate change awareness and actions among youths. These insights are crucial for policy-makers and non-governmental organizations aiming to formulate effective climate change policies and interventions.
Omolawal et al. (Tue,) studied this question.