Contribution of Non-Timber Forest Products as a Subsidiary Source of Livelihood among Forest Dependent Households in Kwara State, Nigeria

This study examines the contribution of non-timber forest products as a subsidiary source of livelihood among forest-dependent households in Kwara State, Nigeria. The study employed a descriptive survey design. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 300 forest-dependent households. At the first stage, 6 major forest communities in Kwara State; Ekan Meje, Idofin Igbana, Osi, Odo-Owa, Oke-Onigbin, Oro-Ago were also purposively chosen, considering their high concentration and dependency on NTFPs. In the final stage, a simple random sampling method was employed within these communities to select 50 forest-dependent households each from the six communities making a total of 300 households as respondents. Data collection was conducted using a structured questionnaire titled “Questionnaire on Contribution of NTFPs as Subsidiary Source of Livelihood among Forest-dependent Households in Kwara State”. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s Product Monument Correlation and Probit regression model. The findings revealed that most of the households were below 30 years of age (66.0%), male (54.0%), married (56.0%), possessed primary education (52.0%), access to extension contact (54.0%), cooperative membership (34.0%). The mean and standard deviation of the household size were 5+2 persons; farming experience 12+5 while the monthly income was N60,910+N12,459 respectively. PPMC showed a significant relationship between NTFPs contribution and livelihood of forest-dependent households in the study area (r = 0.73; p<0.05) and another significant relationship among the factors influencing contribution of NTFPs as a subsidiary source of livelihood among forest-dependent households in the study area (r = 1.62; p<0.05). Probit regression results clearly established that age (β=1.580, p<0.001), sex (β=0.972, p<0.001), marital status (β=4.865, p<0.001), farming experience (β=2.990, p<0.001), monthly income (β=2.429, p<0.001), membership of cooperative (β=0.605, p<0.001) and extension contact (β=3.658, p<0.001) strongly associated and increased the contribution of NTFPs as a subsidiary source of livelihood among forest-dependent households, while a negative correlation between education (β=- 0.897, p<0.001) and household size (β=-3.730, p<0.001) denoting a reducing effect on the level of contribution of NTFPs as a subsidiary source of livelihood among forest-dependent households in the study area. However, among the 12 factors influencing contribution of NTFPs as a subsidiary source of livelihood among forest-dependent households were lack of good roads hinders the efficient collection and access to NTFPs was ranked 1st, loss and extinction of beneficial natural NTFPs pose a challenge was ranked 2nd and NTFPs reduced by forest encroachment brought by population growth was ranked 3rd respectively. It is concluded that households with no formal education, higher household size and did not belong to cooperative societies earned lower income and lower livelihood. The study, therefore, recommended that household should form or join cooperative societies, accessible credit facilities and supportive government policies should be in place to stop encroachment and careless woodlot harvesting, the government ought to provide local securities, training programs to educate forest-community members on sustainable harvesting techniques, value addition, post-harvest handling, and market opportunities for NTFPs in Kwara State.