Socio-economic Correlates of Perceived Environmental Quality of Market Users in Ile-Ife, Nigerian
Pages : 132-140, DOI: https://doi.org/10.14741/ijmcr/v.6.1.22Download PDF
This paper examined the relationship between socio-economic attributes of users and their perceived environmental quality in Ile-Ife markets, Nigeria. Through systematic random sampling, primary data were obtained from 455 traders in Odo-Ogbe, Olorunsogo, Oja-Ife, Bonfo, and Urban day markets. Mean analysis generated from users’ rating of twenty (20) indicators that were of importance to their environmental quality were then used to ascertain if a relationship existed between their socio-economic characteristics and environmental quality. Average indices for each of the socio-economic characteristics were computed. The indicators were then polarized into two. These were indicators above the average indices computed for each of the attributes and those below them. Indicators that were most important in all the markets included availability of water, electricity availability and health care facilities. On the other hand, those that were not important comprised economic opportunities, absence of water pollution, and police service in the market. Therefore, the study recommended that government should provide the facilities and services, especially those that were scarcely supplied to the market users so as to enhance their environmental quality.
Keywords: Market, Environmental quality, Perception, Ile-Ife