Abstract

People protect themselves from hazards depending on how severe they think the risk is, and how vulnerable they think they are. This study examined the use to which residents in three flash-flood prone communities of Ibadan metropolis (Apete, Odo Ona and Ogunpa who experienced the 2011, 2012 and 2013 floods), South West, Nigeria appropriate risk information. Protection Motivation and Information-Seeking provided the framework to interrogate audience response to and use of risk information. The survey research design was adopted. The sample size was 337 respondents. A 25-item modified version of Solis et al’s  questionnaire provided data sources for the study. Data were analysed using the t-test to measure statistical significance of relationship among variables. Level of significance was set at 5%. Also, the data were subjected to a chi-square test. Findings revealed that there is a basis for the influence of perceived household vulnerability on information seeking behaviour. However, findings show an inconsistency regarding influence of ‘received’ flood risk information on perceived severity and vulnerability. Therefore, it can be concluded that high level of uncertainty cause increases in information-seeking behaviour.  

Key Words: Risk Information, Flood, Perceived Risk, Vulnerability, Ibadan.

^JCMRJournal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 7, No. 1, April 2015, 105 – 123 

©Delmas Communications Ltd.

About the authors

*Dr. Ebenezer Adebisi Olawuyi teaches at the Department of Communication and Language Arts, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.

**Abdulganiyy Gbolagade Adiamoh is a communication expert at the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA). He holds two Masters Degrees in Environmental Risk Communication and Social Change Communication.

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