The perception of food vendors on the associated effects of used cooking oil in Lagos State, Nigeria.

Used cooking oils (UCOs) represent the residual oil and fat used for deep-frying foods. This study determined the perception and practices of food vendors on the reuse and disposal of UCOs. The study aims to provide information on UCO management and its potential environmental impacts. The descriptive cross-sectional study utilized a mixed-method approach. A three-stage sampling technique was applied to select 291 commercial food vendors selling deep-fried foods. The data were collected using interviewer-administered questionnaire, and three focus group discussions. The results showed that 61.0% of the respondents positively perceived the environmental effects of reusing and disposing UCO, and 99.0% repeatedly use the same cooking oil for deep-frying till depletion. The respondents' perception on cooking oil reuse and disposal were influenced by wealth, ethnicity, education, and years of experience. Most respondents demonstrated a positive awareness on the environmental impact of UCO, though a significant gap remained between their knowledge and practice.