Socio-psychological analysis of the public perception of a contested infrastructure in Southwest Nigeria

  • Ayodeji Adekunle Eluyemi

    Division of Environment and Earth Science, Centre for Energy Research and Development (CERD), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife 220005, Nigeria

    Applied Nuclear Science and Technology, Centre for Energy Research and Development (CERD), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife 220005, Nigeria
  • Amos Adebimpe Amosun

    Applied Nuclear Science and Technology, Centre for Energy Research and Development (CERD), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife 220005, Nigeria
  • Peter Adetokunbo

    Maxima Geophysics LLC, Dallas, TX 75098, USA
  • Tunji Omoseyin

    Department of Safety Sciences and Environmental Engineering, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA 15705, USA
  • Ogundele K. T.

    Division of Environment and Earth Science, Centre for Energy Research and Development (CERD), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife 220005, Nigeria
  • Oluwabusayo Oluwakemi Eluyemi

    Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife 220005, Nigeria
  • Samuel Adedigba Adeojo

    Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife 220005, Nigeria
Article ID: 2671
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59400/apr2671
Keywords: Pearson correlation, nuclear power plant, nuclear waste, deep geological repository, perception, fear, acceptance, safety

Abstract

We investigated the perception of residents in southwestern Nigeria towards the establishment of a contested infrastructure, namely nuclear power plants (NPPs) and deep geological nuclear waste repositories. The study used an online survey methodology, encompassing 78 participants with a predominantly male composition (62%) and high educational attainment: postgraduate degrees (60%), graduate degrees (20%), undergraduate studies (18%), and secondary school certificates (2%). The research centered on “trust” as the primary independent variable, exploring its associations with factors, including fear, safety perceptions, and both local and foreign expertise. Statistical analysis using Pearson’s correlation revealed robust positive relationships between trust in safety measures and NPP management (r = 0.72), as well as between trust and local expertise (r = 0.60). Significantly, fear regarding NPPs exhibited a strong negative correlation with support for their construction (r = −0.70), while trust in foreign expertise showed minimal correlations with other variables (r ≤ 0.2). The respondents’ professional backgrounds, primarily in physical sciences (45%), offered technically informed perspectives on nuclear infrastructure. The educational attainment of individuals showed a moderate positive relationship with knowledge of nuclear waste (r = 0.57), highlighting the role of education in determining perception of nuclear-related progress. These findings suggest that trust-building, particularly through local knowledge and safety assurances, while simultaneously addressing public fears, is critical to achieving public acceptance of NPPs and nuclear storage sites. It highlights the need for effective communication efforts and local experts being brought into the forefront in addressing the issues of public concern for nuclear infrastructural development.

Published
2025-08-15
How to Cite
Eluyemi, A. A., Amosun, A. A., Adetokunbo, P., Omoseyin, T., T., O. K., Eluyemi, O. O., & Adeojo, S. A. (2025). Socio-psychological analysis of the public perception of a contested infrastructure in Southwest Nigeria. Applied Psychology Research, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.59400/apr2671
Issue
Vol. 4 No. 2 (2025)
Section
Article

Copyright (c) 2025 Ayodeji Adekunle Eluyemi, Amos Adebimpe Amosun, Peter Adetokunbo, Tunji Omoseyin, Ogundele K. T., Oluwabusayo Oluwakemi Eluyemi, Samuel Adedigba Adeojo

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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