NON-TIMBER FOREST PRODUCTS DEPENDENCY AND RURAL HOUSEHOLDS’ WELFARE IN EKITI STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The importance of Non-Timber Forest Products extraction in supporting rural livelihoods and food security in many developing countries has continued to receive worldwide acknowledgment. Such products which often serves as a dependable source of food, medicine, shelter, fuels and income to the exploiters has enhanced rural livelihoods in such countries. The study, therefore, assesses the effect of non-timber forest product harvesting and subsequent marketing on the welfare status of rural households in Ekiti State, Nigeria. A total of one hun dred and sixty rural households were randomly selected from eight Local Government Areas in the state. Data were collected with the aid of a pre-tested structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Foster-Greer-Thorbecke poverty index and Probit regression model. The study revealed that fruits were the most harvested while resin was the least harvested Non-Timber Forest Product in the study area. The result of Foster-Greer-Thorbecke shows that income from non-timber forest products is associated with a decline in number of households in absolute poverty by about 3.3%, severity and depth of poverty by 4.1% and 5.4% respectively. The result of Probit regression model shows that educational level (P < 0.096), Household size (P < 0.007), Number of household members between 18-59 years (P < 0.029), Distance to the nearest forest (P < 0.007) and Distance to nearest urban center (P < 0.072) all show significant probability relationship with participation in non-timber forest product harvesting.