Sustainable Development in Nigeria : The Role of Adult Education in Ensuring Sustainable Management of the Environment

Rapid urbanization has led to many unfavourable conditions, like the development of slums, overcrowding and sub-standard living conditions as well as poverty. This is a vicious cycle of cause and effect, as all the problems lead back to the root cause of poverty. This paper focuses on the environmental issues in Nigeria, especially in Lagos state. Lagos is the largest urban city in the country and faces different challenges in engendering environmental sustainability. The government’s efforts at sustaining the environment seem like a losing battle in the face of the overwhelming and often peculiar circumstances surrounding the urban poor. The paper examines the various factors that contribute to environmental degradation, government’s efforts to combat them, and concludes by suggesting a model of operation for the government and other stakeholders, along with commensurate adult education programs