Public Relations and Waste Management in Nigeria: A Study of National Environmental Standard Regulatory and Enforcement Agency (NESREA)

The World Bank Group’s Environment Strategy 2021-2022 emphasised the relevance of clean environment to healthy living and reduction of the risk of contracting a long list of diseases. The current study investigated the effect of indiscriminate waste disposal on human health and environment and the public relations strategies that NESREA could adopt to improve waste disposal. The study was anchored on Two-way Symmetrical Model of Grunig and Hunt. Survey research method was employed and questionnaire was the instrument used for data collection. Data was analysed using cross tabulation and Chi-square test. Findings revealed that, phone in programmes on radio and television, effective press release and media relations were effective public relations strategies that NESREA could use to encourage proper disposal of waste. Also, the study showed that two-way communication was critical to the success of public relations campaigns and that NESREA could achieve this through the use of phone in programmes on radio and television. It was discovered that, indiscriminate disposal of waste could result in loss of habitat and water pollution. Again, it was revealed that, disease and death of plant is another negative effective of improper disposal of waste. Therefore, the study recommended that NESREA should adopt press release as a public relation strategy to increase awareness on the need for proper waste disposal. And also, in creating awareness on how indiscriminate waste disposal could lead to air and land pollution, NASREA should adopt public relation strategies that are akin to each geopolitical zone.