Environmental Protection: An Evaluation of the Activities of the Oyo State Environmental Protection Agency

Abstract

In a bid to conquer the environment for his survival, man has over the years been attacking it through exploration and exploitation. This rate has continued to rise with advancement in technology that is pivotal to industrialization. Due to the pressures of population and technology, the biophysical environment is being degraded, sometimes permanently. The paper appraises the Oyo State Environmental Protection Agency as the body charged with the responsibility of protecting the environment with a view to determining the environmental situation of the state. Questionnaires were administered on some residents of Ibadan South+West local government area, which was divided into high, medium and low+density areas to elicit information on the environment and the activities of the state environmental protection body. In addition, some officials of this body were interviewed. The data collected were analyzed and presented using simple statistical methods. The results showed that the Agency faces a plethora of problems emanating from poor funding with its attendant inefficient implementation of programs. The paper recommended among others that public enlightenment should be given topmost priority.