ASSESSING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF RENEWABLE ENERGY EXPLOITATION AND UTILIZATION AMONG RURAL HOUSEHOLDS IN SOUTHWEST NIGERIA

Abstract

Rural households’ access to different energy sources is crucial to achieving sustainable development. The focal point of this study was to analyze the correlation between factors influencing the quantity of fuel wood utilized and amount spent on fuel wood by rural households. The Sources of energy resources utilized by rural households and environmental activities associated with forest resource exploitation were also examined. Descriptive Statistics and a Two Stage Least Square (2SLS) models were used to analyze survey data from 225 households. The results showed that the majority of the respondents (87.1%) which were female and married (70.7%) subsist on biomass and kerosene to meeting their energy needs. Household size and income were the most significant variable (p < 0.001) influencing the average quantity of fuel wood utilized vis-à-vis the amount spent on fuel wood consumption. The amount spent on fuel wood being insignificant does not truly reflect its consumption pattern as the instrumental variables in the 2SLS didn’t collinear. The entire exogenous variables aside the amount spent on substitutes and transportation costs were significant. The household size had a positive effect on the quantity of fuel wood consumed while the amount spent on substitutes was inversely related to the quantity of fuel wood consumed. Eight-six percent of the respondents engaged in bush burning while 90 percent engaged in deforestation. An average of 324.3kg of fuel wood was exploited freely annually as efforts were not made to replace lost biomass. The study recommends intensive agroforestry for reforestation. Also, the Government, Non-Governmental Organizations and well to do private/individuals should support the provision of technology incentives like energy saving firewood and improved stoves while subsidizing fossils fuel prices for energy shift among rural households.