By Osuji, Chika G.
The study was aimed at evaluating the implementation of environmental sanitation programme by State Environmental Protection Agencies (SEPAs) in the South East States of Nigeria. In line with the objectives of the study, four research questions were posed, and five null hypotheses, tested at 0.05 level of significance were used to guide the study. The design of the study was descriptive survey. The target population of the study is 26,489 respondents, made up of four hundred and twenty nine (429) SEPAs staff and twenty six thousand, and 60 (26,060) community leaders in South East States. Multi-stage, proportionate random sampling technique were used to compose a sample of two hundred and fourteen (214) SEPAs staff and eight hundred (800) community leaders totalling one thousand and fourteen respondents for the study. Questionnaire was the instrument used for data collection. The instrument used for the study was 52-item ENVIENSPOQ structured questionnaire. The instrument was face validated by three experts: one from the Department of Adult Education and Extra-Mural Studies, another from the Department of Educational Foundations, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the third expert from the Ministry of Petroleum and Environment, Owerri. Its reliability was ensured using Cronbach Alpha estimate. Reliability co-efficient of .81 was obtained. Mean was used to answer research questions one to five. The t-test statistics was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Copies of the instrument were administered to the respondents through direct delivery technique. The findings of the study revealed that environmental sanitation programme amongst other services were implemented to a low extent. The major barriers encountered in the course of the implementation of environmental sanitation programme were corruption and favouritism, inefficiency among SEPAs staff, poor maintenance of service equipment and limited funding. Four out of the five null hypotheses were accepted showing that there was no significant difference in the mean weighted scores of SEPAs Staff and Community leaders except in the case of challenges encountered. Based on the findings, recommendations were proffered which include: that government should employ experts in environmental matters who have credible reference, monitor SEPA staff to check corruption, conduct periodic inspection and evaluation of SEPAs’ activities, fund SEPAs adequately and procure appropriate equipments, and SEPAs should initiate awareness creation programmes for promoting implementation of environmental sanitation programme. Necessary conclusions were therefore made.