Abstract
<p>The study titled Evaluation of Development Communication Strategies Employed in the Promotion and Sustainability of Environmental Campaigns in Edo State examined how communication strategies influence environmental awareness, participation, and behavioural change among residents in Edo State. The main objective was to evaluate the communication strategies employed in promoting environmental campaigns in Edo State, and the level of audience participation and engagement. Guided by the Development Communication Theory, which emphasises participatory and dialogic communication as drivers of social transformation, the study adopted a survey research design. A sample size of 400 was determined from a population of 5.1 million residents using the Taro Yamane formula. Data were gathered through a structured questionnaire administered to respondents purposively selected based on their exposure to environmental campaigns. Descriptive statistics, including mean and standard deviation, were used for analysis, with a benchmark of 3.00 for acceptance. Findings revealed that development communication strategies such as radio, television, and social media are highly effective tools for environmental advocacy, with social media emerging as the dominant platform. However, campaigns conducted in local languages were less frequent, indicating a gap in linguistic inclusivity. Respondents generally perceived campaign messages as clear and persuasive, though some noted that technical language limited understanding. The results further showed that while awareness and attitudinal changes have improved, tangible environmental outcomes, such as reduced pollution and cleaner surroundings, remain minimal due to weak community participation and limited follow-up mechanisms. The study concluded that although development communication has significantly increased environmental awareness in Edo State, its impact on sustained behavioural change is still limited by inadequate grassroots involvement and inconsistent message localisation. It recommended that environmental campaigns should strengthen community-based collaborations, adopt culturally relevant and localised communication approaches, and integrate environmental education into school curricula to foster long-term eco-consciousness.</p>