A Professor of Applied Social and Environmental Psychology at Adekunle Ajasin University (AAUA), Akungba Akoko, Oluyinka Ojedokun, has posited that all environmental problems – ranging from climate change and biodiversity loss to waste management and urban pollution – are caused by human behaviour and collective action.
He recommended what he called 'Responsible Environmental Behaviour' as the solution.
Delivering the institution's 56th inaugural lecture titled, "God Made the Earth, Humans Made the Town," on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, Prof. Ojedokun advocated for action to achieve a balanced ecosystem.
He called on governments and stakeholders to prioritise environmental education programmes that not only raise awareness about the dangers of pollution, but also actively promote responsible behaviour among Nigerians.
According to him, humanity's source is the Earth, and it remains the foundation of our survival.
"Therefore, we cannot afford the continued degradation of the environment," he said, emphasising the urgent need for adopting responsible behaviours.
The don highlighted this approach as a preventive strategy that encourages individuals to act more responsibly toward the environment by influencing behavioural change, rather than relying solely on campaigns that focus on attitudinal shifts.
"Responsible environmental behaviour, by its very nature, demands a future-oriented mindset, requiring individuals to incur small present costs, such as effort, inconveniences, or restraint, in exchange for benefits that are largely deferred and collective, in order to safeguard environmental conditions for future outcomes," he explained.
He noted that environmentally responsible behaviour does not occur by chance. "Rather, it is shaped by the dynamic interplay of attitudes, self-concept, self-efficacy, personality, future time perspective, emotional processes such as eco-anxiety, and the social and institutional environments within which individuals act," the lecturer stated.
Prof. Ojedokun urged universities, schools, and community organisations to design environmental education programmes that go beyond raising awareness.
He recommended that such programmes focus on habit interruption, deliberate action, and the influence of social norms, employing goal-setting, scenario-based workshops, and visual cues to connect present actions with long-term outcomes.
Recommending stricter measures to curb environmental degradation through behavioural change, he urged researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to adopt a Littering Prevention Behaviour Scale (LPBS) and Littering Attitude Scale (LAS) to assess, monitor, and evaluate interventions.
He noted that evidence from these tools should guide policy, programme design, and targeted interventions to ensure effectiveness and sustainability.
He further suggested involving social and environmental psychologists in designing interventions aimed at enhancing environmental self-efficacy, fostering positive self-concept and altruism, and developing residents' and students' self-monitoring and self-regulation skills.
According to him, a multi-sectoral approach is essential for achieving lasting change. He stressed that government and local authorities should provide accessible waste disposal facilities, clear signage, and consistent enforcement of anti-littering laws, while also integrating psychosocial insights into public sanitation campaigns and combining infrastructure, enforcement, and education for sustainable impact.
He also called on community leaders, NGOs, and civil society organisations to facilitate participatory programmes that mobilise residents to take part in clean-up drives and peer-monitoring, as well as reinforce anti-littering norms through local awareness initiatives.
Turning to the private sector, Prof. Ojedokun urged waste management companies to improve the accessibility and reliability of waste services, integrate behavioural insights into service design, and partner with educational and government stakeholders to enhance collection, sorting, and recycling services while incentivising proper disposal.
Presenting the inaugural lecturer earlier, the Vice Chancellor and Chairman of the Occasion, Professor Olugbenga Ige, commended Prof. Ojedokun for his outstanding contributions to research, teaching, and community service.
He noted that the lecture's focus on environmental responsibility reflects the university's commitment to producing knowledge that benefits society.
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