NIU Journal of Social Sciences 101 NIU Journal of Social Sciences Copyright©2023 Nexus International University ISSN: 3007-1682; 9(4): 101- 110 Socio-Economic Drivers of Climate Change Perception in Metropolitan Cities of Sub- Saharan Africa SAMUEL OSAYAMEN TONGO, OLANREWAJU TIMOTHY DADA, OLUWAFEMI MICHAEL ODUNSI, SOBOWALE TOLULOPE OLADIMEJI FESTUS OSARUMWENSE UZZI Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Nigeria Abstract. This research used the metropolitan cities of Kano and Lagos in Nigeria to assess socio- economic variables that drive the perception of the two broad classes of climate change beliefs: "climate change is real" and "humans cause climate change." The multistage sampling technique was used to respectively select 134 and 278 respondents across the different neighbourhoods in Kano and Lagos metropolises. Uniformly in Kano and Lagos metropolises, beliefs in climate change reality and the human cause were influenced by residents' age, parental status, and level of education. Anthropogenic climate sceptics were strongly influenced by ethnicity in both Kano and Lagos metropolises. While Muslim-dominated Kano mostly believes climate change is occurring but not caused by human activity, the Christian-dominated Lagos believes in climate change's reality and human cause. The results can assist the government in knowing how to embark on enlightenment and environmental education where all socio-economic status will be captured. Keywords: climate change, perception, beliefs, socio-economics, ill-health, Nigeria 1. Introduction Globally, there is abounding evidence of the effects of human-induced climate change on socio-economic systems and physical processes (United Nations Foundation-Sigma, 2007). However, there are diverse beliefs because of a consensus gap across countries on the perception of human-induced changes (Dunlap and Jacques, 2013). Some believe that human-made climate change is happening, while others do not. Other beliefs are convinced that climate change but do not support the view that humans drive these changes. What this implies is that there is still some denial that the climate is changing and disbelief in human causation, despite the weight of scientific evidence on the current existence and future worsening of climate change as well as its causes and consequences (Whitmarsh, 2011; IPCC, 2014; Gueye et al., 2015). For instance, Rahmstorf (2004) identified three opinions about climate change scepticism. These are trend, attribution, and impact scepticisms. According to him, trend sceptics do not believe at all in the existence of climate change. In contrast, attribution sceptics accept its reality but do not agree that man contributes to its cause. Impact sceptics, however, believe in climate variability and its anthropogenic factors but deny the attendant risks and effects. Furthermore, Sibley and Kurz (2013) classified these opinions into four. These are climate believers, undecided/neutral, climate sceptics, and anthropogenic climate sceptics. Sibley and Kurz (2013) further submitted that climate believers believe in reality and human cause, while climate sceptics are sceptical about reality and human cause. The anthropogenic climate sceptics believe climate change is occurring but not caused by human activity, and the undecided/neutral are not sure about both reality and human cause. Thus, it is conclusive that gaps exist between scientific evidence and perception of climate change, yet the gaps are hardly accommodated in climate change modeling. Perhaps more importantly, studies have not examined the core variables underpinning belief in the reality of climate change and anthropogenic climate change in developing nations. As such, this study explores how