ASSESSING THE INFLUENCE OF BILLBOARD MESSAGES ON STUDENTS' DRESSING HABITS: A STUDY OF ABRAHAM ADESANYA POLYTECHNIC, IJEBU-IGBO, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

The objectives of this study were to assess the level of understanding of students of Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic, Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State, Nigeria regarding the potential of billboard to influence their mode of dressing, as well as to examine the influence of patterns of dressings that is exhibited on billboards’ on the mode of dressings of students. This study adopted mixed-methods design combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews. The population of this study will involve all students enrolled for various academic programmes at Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic in Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State, Nigeria. The sample for this study which is 500 respondents shall be drawn from students in different departments and levels of study (125 respondents from each of ND 1, ND 2, HND 1 and HND 2), representing the diverse student population (full-time and part-time) at Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic, and was obtained through a stratified random sampling technique. The research instruments utilized for this study were questionnaire and interviews. Social learning theory was used to explain the variables contained in the study. The findings revealed that the level of understanding of students of Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic, Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State, Nigeria regarding the potential of billboard to influence their mode of dressing was serious, and that pattern of dressings exhibited on billboards was highly influential on the mode of dressings of students of Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic, Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State, Nigeria. This is owing to the fact that 41.6 (the Weighted Mean) is far above the decision rule of 2.50. The study concluded that billboards serve as a form of indirect observation, leading to imitation and reinforcement of dress styles portrayed in advertisements. Hence, billboards showcasing negative consequences, such as social rejection or disapproval for indecent dressing, can serve as a deterrent for students to adopt similar styles. Therefore, the study recommended that consideration of the role of billboards in shaping societal norms and promoting appropriate dress choices among students in tertiary institutions should be given importance by tertiary institutions’ managers.