Environmental sanitation, often neglected in most parts of Nigeria has great implications for a Nation's health and economy. Imagine a country filled with sick people; how will the economy flourish? Central to these sanitation activities lay the media, who are saddled with the responsibility of communicating risks and hazards to society. Risk communication is not about telling people what to do, but it is about providing people with information aimed at helping them make informed decisions. This study aims at assessing the role of the media as risk communicators on environmental sanitation with the following objectives: awareness of environmental sanitation, the most reliable media in relaying sanitation information, knowledge and attitude towards environmental sanitation and knowledge of health-related risks of environmental sanitation among respondents. Using survey, the study assessed 640 respondents from two localities in Zaria (Sabon Gari and Samaru). Major findings reveal that respondents are aware of environmental sanitation as it was practiced a few years back. Radio was considered the most reliable medium in relaying sanitation messages, knowledge towards environmental sanitation was poor, and the people had a poor attitude towards it. Finally, most respondents did not know the health implications of living in an unhealthy environment. The study recommends that local media operators embark on a campaign to effectively communicate the hazards of environmental sanitation to the public to improve their knowledge and attitude towards it.
Vol. 1, No 2, pp. 72-79.