Issues on climate change are receiving greater interest globally even though much is written and spoken about climate change at scientific circles, little information filters through other levels. The need to foster awareness and level of understanding of climate change as a subject among agriculturally based students at the University of Ibadan necessitated this study. A multi-stage sampling technique was used in the selection of respondents in which two agricultural science based faculties were selected out of nine related faculties representing 22.2% of the base population. A random selection of four Departments out of seven from Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry was adopted with complete enumeration of Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Information relating to meaning of Climate Change (CC), sources of information, associated problems, mitigation and adaptive measures were obtained using structured questionnaire.
Data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics. On gender basis, 50.4 percent were males while 49.3 percent were females with 53.7 percent within the age group of 21-30. Similarly, 73.8 percent of the respondents believe issues on CC helped them to know more about changes in weather situation as 66.8 showed that their life styles have been affected by CC while 87.2 percent agreed that climate change helped them to understand the world better. Meaning of climate change varied significantly among the respondents with 60.7 percent claiming that climate change only means change in weather conditions, 13.4 had no clue as to what climate CC. Information sources were from internet (32.2 percent), electronics and print media 41.5 percent and only 1.0 percent obtains information through dissemination of research works. Thus, 59.7 percent believed that CC should be included as a course as 74.2% of the respondents would like to know more.
Attendant problems of CC were multi-various ranging from human activities (5.7 percent) to deforestation (9.4 percent). Impacts of CC were mainly ecological (40.3percent), as 64.8% opined that courses on CC are not enough. Nevertheless, 39.9% of the students were interested in adaptation aspect, 27.2% in mitigation of climate change while 24.8% are interested in educational aspect of CC; but 51.8 percent believed the problem can be addressed by proper awareness. In conclusion, the level of awareness and perception of CC in the two Faculties was low and there is need for greater awareness and education of what CC is among the students.