Environmental Issues and Bill-Posting as a Pervasive Media Culture in Nigeria

Abstract

Indiscriminate bill-postings have become one of the nuisances threatening the ‘health’ and aesthetic credibility of the physical environment in post-colonial Nigerian society. Although the problem is a serious one, it is yet to receive attention from the academia and other concerned authorities in Nigeria. It is within this context that this study examines bill-postings as pervasive media culture, using Edo Central District (ECD) of Edo State, Nigeria as a case study. In doing this, it adopts an evaluative methodology. This is complemented by interviews and random photographic snapshots of posted-bills across the district under examination. This study finds out that the indiscriminately posted-bills are eyesores, which apart from not being aesthetically pleasing, exacerbate the environmental management challenge in the ECD. It also discovers that the problem is a multilayered one, judging from the different kinds of posters that are commonly posted by diverse groups in society. Consequently, this paper asserts that probing the sociological causes and implications of the menace could offer some insights on how to redress the situation. To this end, a number of suggestions are made, with a view to improving the condition of the physical environment in ECD.