Nelson Ekane

Background

About Nelson Ekane

I am a member of the AfricaSan Advisory Committee of the African Minister’s Council on Water (AMCOW). I have a PhD in Planning and Decision Analysis. My thesis disentangles how sanitation policies articulate at multiple levels of governance and eventually translate into investment and behaviour change at household and community levels. Conceptually, my research combines institutional theory and policy and implementation analysis within a multi-level governance framework, with empirical investigation of what actually motivates hygiene behaviour change at household and community levels. Field research was conducted in Uganda and Rwanda. This research was funded by Vetenskapsrådet 2013-6364. I am exploring the complexities surrounding sanitation practices and hygiene behaviours in different contexts with specific emphasis on barriers to sanitation and hygiene behavioural change as well as the approaches used to change behaviour at the household and community levels in rural and peri-urban settings in sub-Saharan Africa. This constitutes a major part of my post-doctoral research entitled ‘Carrots’, ‘Sticks’, ‘Sermons’, and ‘Nudges’: Perspectives on the Sustainability of Changing Sanitation Practices and Hygiene Behaviours. Within this research, I am examining the complex and multifaceted sociocultural and socio-political aspects of eliminating open defecation (OD) practices, promoting proper and sustained use of toilet facilities, and instilling handwashing with soap at critical times. The topic of my ongoing research in this field in the Swedish context is resources and risks: perceptions on the application of sewage sludge on agricultural land in Sweden. I also research on risk governance which encompasses risk perception, risk management and risk communication. I am drawing on research methods from psychology to explore mechanisms underlying human perceptions and judgment of practices and technologies involving specifically the use of treated and untreated excreta as fertilizer in agriculture. This work is done in collaboration with Decision Research (DR) in Eugene, Oregon, USA. Sustainable global phosphorus governance is another research interest. I am exploring governance opportunities including the realms of mining, agriculture and waste management, the parameters worth monitoring and regulating, the stakeholders involved and the associated objectives of the resulting improved governance. The aim is to provide some suggestions for policy priorities and a staged process of steps to achieve progress in sustainable global phosphorus governance.