Perception of the Environmental Health Profession in Nigeria: Integrity, Performance, and Achievement

Environmental health practice is a core pillar of public health protection in Nigeria, with key responsibilities in sanitation, water safety, waste management, pollution control, and disease prevention. Despite this, the profession often suffers from low public recognition, and its image is shaped as much by conduct and results as by technical mandates. This research determines public perception of environmental health in Nigeria through three constructs: integrity, performance, and achievement. Evidence shows that environmental risks remain major contributors to morbidity and mortality in Nigeria, with air pollution, unsafe water, poor sanitation, and poor hygiene posing persistent threats. The research argues that professional perception improves when practitioners demonstrate ethical conduct, technical competence, accountability, and demonstrable outcomes. However, weak governance, limited visibility of preventive impact, and resource constraints continue to undermine the profession’s standing. To strengthen perception and practice, the research recommends stronger ethical codes, improved performance monitoring, strategic public communication, and explicit recognition of environmental health in national health policy.

Keywords: Environmental health, Nigeria, integrity, performance, achievement, public perception, public health.