noticeable need for this country includes lack of quality sanitation services has led to several deaths (Daramola, 2016). This West African country, with a population of 191 million, has been ranked second in the world among the countries with the highest rates of open defecation, after India. Close to 47 million Nigerians defecate in the open and 100,000 children under the age of five die each year from unhealthy water consumption and a lack of sanitation services. this is more pronounced in a general public place like Market.

In general, markets occupy an important position in the lives of Nigerians and communities. It is crucial not only in the chain of commodity distribution; it also aids information dissemination and social interaction (Owoeye and Adedeji, 2013). Markets are not only economic institutions but also serve as social entities (Vagale, 1973). They serve as links between people of diverse ethnic groups, racial backgrounds, cultural traits as well as meeting places for socialcultural, religious, and political activities (Osafo, 2015). Market provide a physical setting for interaction between urban and rural cultures.

It is one of the several diversities of systems, institutions, procedures, information sharing, social relations, and infrastructure whereby parties engage in exchange. The condition of environmental sanitation in markets where food is sold is poor in the developing world as they are characterized by inadequate toilet facilities. (Weidner 2009, Weiler et al. 2003, UN-Water decade programme 2007). Since users' perception is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information to represent and understand the presented information or the environment. All perception involves signals that go through the nervous system, which in turn result from physical or chemical stimulation of the sensory system.

Users' perception deals with the levels of understanding of traders' on environmental sanitation in the markets, there is a need to examining the perception of market users' about the environmental sanitation exercises within the markets. The population of Akure was estimated at 609,165, 500 in 2017 based on a growth rate of 4.64 per cent annually Nigerian Population Commission (NPC), (2017). The high rate of population growth coupled with the high migrant numbers has outstripped the rate of infrastructure development and service provision, such that, the city authorities are struggling mightily to cope with the rapid urban growth.

Most of the infrastructures such as roads, markets, toilet facilities, and housing have exceeded their carrying capacities. The high populations with its accompanying waste generation and indiscriminate waste disposal practices have impacted negatively on the drainage system and have consequently brought all water bodies in Akure to the brink of extinction (Fakere & Fadamiro, 2012). The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) recognize the fact that environmental sustainability is part of global economic and social wellbeing.

However, achieving the fourth goal (reducing child mortality); the fifth goal (improving maternal health), and part of the sixth goal (to halt and begin to reverse by 2015, the incidents of malaria and other major diseases), of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), largely depends on the country's efforts to ensure a clean and healthy environment. Unsafe water, poor sanitation, and hygiene result in countless deaths among children and a huge burden of diseases can lead to diarrhea, dysentery, malaria, and other parasitic illnesses. Poor hygiene is a channel for these diseases.

The impact of poor environmental sanitation in both the cities, communities, and public places like the market can threaten the realization of Agenda 2030 of Sustainable Development Goals, MD (such as 1, 3, 6,8, 11, and 12). The government of Ondo State invested much towards achieving goal 7, and 3 MDGs of good health, cleaner and the sanitary environment. Recently, the government of the state ordered the fumigation of all markets and motor parks across the state to curtail the spread of COVID-19 and set-up committee on market sanitation, tribunals to prosecute offenders against sanitary bye-laws and regulations employed over 100 ad-hoc staff, purchased motorised water pumps, 50 drums of ethanol and chlorine for the exercise, but less little were achieved.

The environmental condition in the state remains annoying. Studies affirmed that sanitation remains one of the most basic services in human life. Improving environmental sanitation is known to have allaround the important beneficial impact on health both in households and across different sectors within the communities. Parts of the city are almost always dirty, open spaces, market places, car parks and much other public and private places are littered with refuse due to lack of money for the sanitary improvement and absence of sanitary facilities. In most cases, drains are clogged or blocked and many compounds are hemmed in by solid waste, posing health threats to all the residents and traders.

The study used a controlled questionnaire to collect necessary data from the market men and women across the various market in Akure Ondo State. This was administered across all the renowned market across different neighbourhood and district in Akure metropolis. 8.0 % of total shops were selected and every 10 th shop was selected for the survey (administration of questionnaire) (table 1.1). All the questionnaires (100%) were retrieved and the data obtained from them were collated and descriptively analysis by SPSS 26.0.

All data presented in this study were obtained through the administration of the questionnaire(2020) to market men and women unless otherwise stated.. the study on table 1, present basis sanitation practices among the respondents in the study area in which various issues affecting health, hygiene and sanitation were addressed. Among the issues covered in this section were a place of defecation, toilet and type of toilets used, sanitation practices of respondents and factors influencing markets users' participation in the market sanitation practices in the study area among others. The result of the findings shown that one-fifth (6.8%) of respondents used a nearby bush, while slightly -half (49.3%) rush to defecate in the gutter and open drainage. Moreover, far more than one-fourth of respondents (24.9%) used available public toilet facility in the market, while the remaining respondents that are more than a one-seventh quarter (19.0%) make use of other. Based on the result of finding. It was detected that the proportion of respondents who make use of the public toilet in the market is very low compared to the total sample population of the study. Hence there appeared to be a shortage of public toilet in the area. As presented in table 2, the study found that respondents who used water closet accounted for (57.1%), while those who used pit-latrine were also less than two-third. Besides, 9.3% of used bucket latrine, 2.9% used pours flush and the remaining 6.3% used other types during the trading period. Considering this analysis, it was deduced that the use of water closet is common in the market among the respondents' and there is still need to enhance more access and use of water closet among the market users'. From the result of findings in table 3, the study found that slightly more than one-quarter of respondents' (27.8%) were below 50m to the available toilet in the market, while slightly more than one-tenth (17.6%; 25.4% are 50-100m and 151-200m respectively were away from public toilet, and less than one-quarter (22.9%) of respondents' were 101-150m away. Also, 6.3% of users' in the market were 200m away nearest to the public toilet. This showed that the majority of respondents were far away from the available public toilet and that this might contribute to possible environmental sanitation challenges in the market. The study further found (table 4), that the poor sanitary condition of available toilets accounted for less than half of the reasons given by respondents' (51.7%) for non-usage of an available public toilet in the study area, while slightly more than one-twentieth (24.9%; 18.0%) identified location distance and charges attached to toilet respectively as factors to discourage them, and the remaining 5.4% of respondents' did not respond to the question. It was of not that the three reasons given by the respondents for non-use or irregular use of public toilets in the market were attributed to means of protecting themselves from possible health menace and sanitary related contaminations.

Volume XXI Issue II Version I 51 ( H ) The result of findings on table 5, found that considerably more than one-fifteenth (16.1%) identified local government as responsible for the management of available public toilet in the market, while the 48.8% identified market management as the one responsible for the management of public toilet, also 27.8% identified private individuals as the responsible for the management of toilet in the market, 6.3% identified state government as the one responsible for the management of public toilet in the market, while, the remaining 1.0% of respondents' identified community associations like the one responsible for the management of the public toilets within the market. Therefore, it was deduced from the analysis that both government and private individual owned and managed the available public toilets in the market. Hence, there is a need for their involvement in the maintenance of their facility. However, the result of the study on table 6, showed that 9.1% adjudged that the facility is inadequate. Respondents' who see the facility as fairly inadequate were more than two-third (90.8%), while 3.9% of respondents adjudged that the facility is fair while others 5.4% adjudged that facilities are adequate. Descriptively, the proportion of respondents' who adjudged the facility as adequate is relatively small compared to the vast number of users' of the market who usually patronized the market on daily and mostly on market days. Also, the field survey revealed the existence of variation in the charges being paid for the use of a toilet facility in the market. The rate of N50 was being paid per period of use of a public toilet.

This study has revealed that high alertness about the hazards caused by improper waste management in market place did not translate to good practice. It is probably due to several reasons: lack of facilities for waste segregation and timely collection, lack of will power on the part of waste generators to do the right thing and lack of incentives to adequately dispose of the waste generated. The findings of this study, therefore, suggest that there is a need to improve waste collection, storage, and disposal at the market place to reduce the potential of spread of infectious diseases and environmental degradation.

We recommend also that researchers should pay more attention to market studies and improved sanitary facilities should be made available in markets and other public places. The local government should take steps to promote community participation in sanitation services, particularly at the market places since it is their bond constitutionally.