African Journals Online
Journal of Environmental Extension (Jext)

Volume 2, Number 1 2001
Abstracts

AN ASSESSMENT OF THE DEGREE OF USE OF SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES BY FARMERS' IN IFEDORE LOCAL GOVERNMENT OF ONDO STATE.

FAKOYA E.O.

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT, UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE, ABEOKUTA, NIGERIA.

ABSTRACT

This study was designed to determine the degree of use of sustainable environmental management practices in Ifedore local government area of Ondo state. Random sampling techniques was used for sample selection in five villages of the three zones of ht study area. Data were gathered from 120 crop farmers.

Respondents were grouped into 4 categories of use of sustainable environmental management practices on the basis of scores obtained for those practices engaged in by them as follows;

i. Environmentally sustainable practices (70% and above) with 7 respondents (5.83 percent)

ii. Environmentally compatible practices (50 to 60%) with 78 respondents (65 percent)

iii. Environmentally unfriendly practice (30 to 49%) with 19 respondents (15.83 percent)

iv. Environmentally damaging practices (0 to 29%) with 16 respondents (13.34 percent)

The sustainable environmental management practices include; Tree planting (93.33%) and Multiple cropping (90.83%), while zero tillage and alley farming had (34.16%) and (26.67%) respectively.

The multiple regression analysis results indicate that farm size, tenure in farming, household size and age are important determinants of degree of sustainable environmental management practices use with R² = 0.75, 0.65 and 0.78 for linear, semi log and double log form of equations respectively.

Farmers should be encouraged to use such practices to prevent deterioration and degradation of environment and extension agents should provide more skills training in order to attain sustainable agricultural development.

POTENTIALS OF NON-TIMBER FOREST PRODUCTS IN ENHANCING THE ECOLOGICAL STATUS OF TROPICAL FOREST PLANTATIONS

OGUNSANWO, O.Y., AND ADETOGUN A.C.

ABSTRACT

The shortcomings of the tropical forest plantations in meeting the ecological demands of the tropical environment prompted research into strategies for a way out. This paper examines the possibility of introducing some biological component of the natural forest, especially non-timber forest products (NTFPS) into the plantation in order to raise its biodiversity, as well also enhancing the economic status of dependents on the natural forest for their livelihood. The implication of this strategy on sustainable management of the tropical forest resources was discussed.

UNCERTAINTY IN ESTIMATED VALUES OF FORESTRY PROJECT: A CASE STUDY OF AGO-OWU FOREST RESERVE, OSUN STATE.

B.O. AGBEJA

Department of Forest Resources Management, University of Ibadan, Ibadan. Nigeria.

ABSTRACT

This paper examines cost and benefits of a 21-year-old Teak Plantation with a view to determining the degree of uncertainty that surrounds every estimated value in forestry project. The study identifies key variables that are likely to have major impacts on forestry project.

Information were gathered through the use of primary and secondary data. The information obtained were analyzed using Net Present Value, Benefit-Cost Ratio, Economic Rate of Return and Sensitivity Analysis.

The results of this study indicate that the NPV and B/C ratio were sensitive to increase in discount factor. The values of estimates for a direct and taungya plantatiomn at Ago-Owu forest reserve were less sensitive to increase in costs of inputs (seeds, labour, land and capital).

It is recommended that since the values of estimates are highly sensitive to increase in discount factors, more effort should be channeled by the Government to reduce the level of uncertainty in future forestry projects through discount rate and genuine information on inventory of the plantation

WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION IN SUSTAINABLE CROP FARMING ACTITIVITIES I ODEDA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF OGUN STATE

E.O. FAKOYA,

Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development,

University of Agriculture. Abeokuta. Nigeria.

S.O. APANTAKU AND C.E. UNAEZE.

Department of Agriculture Extension and Rural Development,

University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

ABSTRACT

Women have been found to be the key people responsible for providing household food supplies in Sub Saharan Africa but have minimal access to production facilities. This study examined the level of women's participation in sustainable crop farming activities in Odeda local government area of Ogun State, determined various sustainable crop farming activities engaged in y women, categorized them on the basis of their level of participation and identified the various means of improving their level of participation in crop farming activities.

A multi-stage random sampling method was used in selecting 150 women farmers from two ADP zones. An interview schedule was designed to obtain data on the respondents' eleven identified sustainable crop-farming activities.

Results show that most of the respondents have between 3-10 years of farming experience. Over half of them had average farm size of 2-3 hectares while over one-third had no formal education. The highest mean for each crop farming activity was set at 2.00 crop farming activities such as processing, storage and planting had higher mean scores ( x = 1.81 x= 1.79; x = 1.64 respectively) while ridging, fertilizer application and stumping had lower mean scores (x = 0.82; x = 0.91 x = 0.95 respectively).

The respondents were categorized into 3 on the basis of the scores on the level of women's participation in sustainable crop farming activities thus:

i. Low level participation Z= (-1.20 to-0.22) 42.7 percent

ii. Medium level participation Z = - (0.23 to -0.76) 48.0 percent

iii. High level participation Z = (0.77 to 1.75) 9.3 percent

There was no significant relationship between respondent's level of participation in sustainable crop farming activities and their religion (2= 0.35,p>0.05) and farm size (2 0.71 p>0.05). A significant relationship however, existed between the level of sustainable crop farming activities and respondents' age (2 = 0.10; p< 0.05), educational level (2 = 0.61,p<0.05). Marital status 2 = 0.34,p <0.05) and household size (2 = 1.09, p<0.05).

This study recommends that women should be given adequate support in terms of education and production techniques and that decision makers must concern themselves with women's issues.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF RAINY DAYS IN DIFFERENT ECOLOGICAL ZONES IN NIGERIA AGRICULTURE

J.O. AKINTOLA

Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Ibadan. Nigeria.

ABSTRACT

Agriculture in Nigeria is rain fed therefore, the availability of water for crop production and other agricultural activities' needs become very crucial.

The seasonal fluctuation in rainfall across the different ecological regions is often regarded as a critical climatic variable especially under peasant agriculture where capital needed to install irrigation facilities is rather lacking. Given the difficulties in the supply of water for agriculture due to the characteristics of rainfall (seasonality, variability, intensity) a study of the differences of rainy days distribution in different ecological zones in Nigeria becomes imperative.

The study seeks to determine and quantify differences in the number of rainy days available for crop production in the different (18) locations in (seven) different ecological zones in Nigeria with a view to providing information for farmers and other stakeholders in agriculture. To this end secondary data of a 25 years period covering the whole country was collected from relevant government agencies. Analytical tools included Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Least Significance Differences (LSD).

From the result, it was observed that the rainy days in the Southern Zone shows relatively less variabilities than those in the Central (middle belt) and the Northern zones. Likewise the distribution I the Central (middle belt) shows less variabilities than those of the Northern zone. Situation of inadequacies of each water supply in the Northern ecological zones and excessive supply in the Southern zones could be controlled through development policies of land irrigation in the former and flood control measures in the latter.

USE OF CASSAVA-MAIZE INTERCROP TECHNOLOGIES IN SOIL CONSERVATION IN IRELE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ONDO.

AROWOJOLU O.

Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.

ABSTRACT

In Nigeria, “efforts have been made towards increasing farmers” productivity through the development of improved technologies which farmers can adopt and thereby improve their productivity and at the same time conserve their soil. However, the extent of adoption of these technologies by the farmers have not been satisfactory. It is with this view in mind that this study was carried out in Irele Local Government Area of Ondo State.

Both purposive and simple random sampling procedures were used to select respondents for the study. One hundred and twelve respondents were interviewed. The data collected were analysed using frequencies and percentage counts. Chi-square and Pearson product moment correlation were used for testing the hypotheses, depending on the level of measurement of the variables.

The finding was that majority (67%) of the farmers are aware of the cassava-maize intercrop improved technologies. Farmers claimed they received agricultural information through fellow farmers. With the exception of age, all farmers' characteristics have no significant relationship with the use of the technologies.

CONSERVATION OF FOREST BIODIVERSITY IN NIGERIA THROUGH COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION.

ONUMADU, F.N.

Forest Resources Management, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Nigeria.

ABSTRACT

The decline in biodiversity is generating a global concern and Nigeria is not left out either. As a developing country it depends on biological resources for survival and every effort should be channeled towards its conservation. This paper therefore highlighted the need to conserve forest biodiversity in r\order to check its extinction. Community participation is viewed as the most viable option for conserving forest biodiversity in Nigeria. Some of the agroforestry systems, which are community and individual-oriented for achieving this are highlighted.

CRUDE OIL, WOMEN AND THE ENVIRONMENT: A CASE STUDY OF DELTA STATE OF NIGERIA.

OLAIFA, F.E.

Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Management, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

OLAIFA, A.K.

Department of Veterinary Surgery and Reproduction, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

And

LAMEED, G.A.

Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Management, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

ABSTRACT

The study of effects of petroleum pollution on the general environment with peculiar relevance to women in Delta State was carried out for a period of nine months, by using structured questionnaire and personal observations.

The study was basically focused on women of all age groups and generalized all sources of pollution in the area. Among all, oil spillage to the rivers, streams, and farmlands (44.8%) was most rated, while other sources like fish (62.1%), and effect their occupational status that is based on peasant farming (33.7%) and fishing (52.1%). However, there is high significant effect (P<0.05) of the sources of pollution to the environment related tow omen livelihood in the area. While responses to the effect were in form of cooperative (2.3%), individual (2.1%), the oil companies compensation (41.9%) and sometimes government assistance (33.2%).

It was therefore suggested that women should be given advantage of both formal and informal education, adequate supply of funds in form of loan, with other amenities such as good source of water, alternatives to fishing and farming to alleviate the poverty conditions that oil spillage had caused.

FARMER'S PARTICIPATION IN SOCIAL FORESTRY IN THE SEMI-ARID ZONE OF NIGERIA.

ADEOLA, A.O.

College of Environmental Resources Management, Univeristy of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria.

BADA S.O., POPOOLA, L. AND ADEBISI, L.A.

Department of Forest Resources Management, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

ABSTRACT

In July 1996, a structured questionnaire was used to interview 475 people in 38 farm-family groups to elicit information on their participation in social forestry in the semi-arid zone of Nigeria. States covered included Bauchi; Borno; Jigawa, Kano; Katsina; Kebbi; Plateau; Sokoto and Yobe. Forty seven percent of farmers interviewed own private nurseries to supplement the government nurseries.

About 68% owned woodlots, 47.4% orchards while only 3% were involved in apiculture. No farmer was involved in amenity planting but 40% of them had home gardens; 23.6% were engaged in borderline (boundary) planting.

All the farmers interviewed participated in tree planting, even though management of trees (weeding, tending, pruning) in these various technologies was poor. NGO participation is high in one state Katsina) while a lot of Community Based Organizations (CBOs) were present in all the states and some of them participated in tree planting. Farmers interviewed appear confident with high self-worth. They are satisfied with the forestry projects.

ASSESSMENT OF DOMESTIC WATER SUPPLY SITUATION IN RURAL COMMUNITIES IN IJEBU –NORTH AREA OF OGUN STATE, NIGERIA.

AGBELEMOGE, A AND O.J. ODUBANJO

Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Sociology, Ogun State University, Ago-Iwoye, Nigeria.

ABSTRACT

Water is needed by man for the sustenance of life and it is the second most important natural resource used by man after the air were breathe. Man survives longer without food than without water. The socio-economic development of man is determined partly by the availability of water. The supply of safe pipe-borne water in Nigeria is associated with the urban centres while the majority of the rural areas are without reasonable access to safe water supply.

The domestic water supply situation in Ijebu-North Area was studied using one hundred and fifty respondents from five rural communities randomly sampled and interviewed for the study.

The result indicated that only three percent (3%) of the people have access to clean and safe pipe-borne water while the remaining 97% relied on streams, rain water, wells and springs for their domestic uses. Only 26% of the people had water supply within their houses while 47% of the rural dwellers trek for over an hour to fetch drinking water.

Chi-square analysis revealed that the rural dwellers had to reduce their rate of water consumption as a result of having to trek long distances before getting safe water supply but at other times made use of water available whether contaminated or not.

The long hours spent in searching for water could have been judiciously spent on productive work if the people can be assisted to repair the broken down bore holes, teach them how to maintain these boreholes and also treat their other unsafe sources of water supply.

ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES AND HUMAN SURVIVAL: SOCIAL RESPONSES TO ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION IN NIGERIA.

F.A.KUPONIYI

Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension

Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso. Nigeria.

ABSTRACT

This article examines the antecedents of environmental degradation and how the rural dwellers in Nigeria respond to it in order to survive.

Almost all forms of modern day development efforts trigger off environmental degradation in addition to the age-long traditional practices such as deforestation and grazing, solid mineral exploitation, water pollution through petroleum exploitation and industrial waste releases, and air pollution through release of toxic gases from factories and refuge dumps. Uncontrolled population growth and poverty have also been directly linked with environmental degradations. A thorough examination of indigenous environmental management practices will reveal interesting age-long environmental preservation strategies, which can be blended with modern practices to forge a durable conservation strategy. Other ways of responding to environmental degradation to ensure survival include change of occupation, permanent or semi-permanent migration, increased urban-rural linkages among kinsmen, and increased political activity usually in the form of asking for government assistance and /or compensation.

This article also recognizes that environmental preservation discourse should take special cognizance of rural women because they have special relationship with the natural environment by virtue of their heavy dependence on primary natural systems such as soil, water and forest for survival.

PERCEPTION OF THE ROLE OF MASS MEDIA IN ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION: CASE STUDY OF SOME MEDIA HOUSES IN OYO STATE.

OJO M.O. (MRS.)

Federal College of Forestry, Ibadan, Nigeria.

KADRI S.S.

National Productivity Center, Ibadan, Nigeria.

ABSTRACT

The environment in which we live in is becoming degraded at an alarming rate. This is occasioned by a number of factors such as population explosion, urbanization, deforestation, bush burning etc. There is therefore the need for its conservation if it must sustain livelihood. Appropriate intervention to conserve the environment could be effectively initiated by the use of mass media for public awareness and involvement.

This paper focuses on the role of mass media in environmental conservation. Six media houses were randomly selected within Ibadan metropolis. Structured questionnaire were administered to assess the impact of the selected media houses on environmental conservation. It was discovered that media houses in Oyo State took to putting on it slogans, jingles and publishing articles on the environment. Illiteracy and ignorance on the part of the people concerned was discovered to be the major problem encountered by the media houses in their effort at conserving the environment.

It is recommended that media houses should improve upon their information unit to complement their role. Government should implement policies on environmental conservation and offenders must be punished. NGO's should be more involved and encouraged to assist in environmental.

SOIL SUSTAINABILITY AND INDIGENOUS SOIL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AMONG FOOD CROP FARMERS IN OGUN STATE, NIGERIA.

A.B. AROMOLARAN, A.A. SORETORE,,S.A. AROMOLARAN*, O.S. ENILLOBO, S.O. FASHOLA, AND M.A. ADEBISI

Department of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria.

Department of Agricultural Science Education, Federal College of Education, Abeokuta, Nigeria.

ABSTRACT

It has been said that the greatest threat to sustaining agricultural productivity in Nigerian farming communities is the decline in soil productivity. As a result of this a number of programmes and policies aimed at increasing the interest of Nigerian farmers in long term soil conservation practices have been mounted in the past three decades by Nigerian governments. Evidence has however shown that most farmers have continued to shun both the indigenous and non-indigenous long-term conservation practices in favour of shorter term conservation practices. The study reported in this paper was an attempt to identify, describe and analyse the current soil management practices among food crop farmers in Ogun state, Nigeria, (with some emphasis on the indigenous practices) vs-a-vis the societal goal of long term sustainability of the soil. The study utilized a sample of 394 farmers randomly selected from the four agricultural zones in Ogun state. The results showed that fertilizer use (a non-indigenous method) was most prevalent practice it the area. This was closely followed by minimum tillage (indigenous), bush fallow (indigenous) and zero tillage (indigenous). Furthermore, a number of indigenous methods such as shifting cultivation, ridging across the slope, and manure/plant residue management which help the long term sustenance of the soil have become very unpopular among the farmers. Also, long-term soil conservation practices which are not indigenous to the area such as crop rotation, ally cropping are presently very unpopular among the farmers.

MONETIZATION OF FORESTS' SERVICE FUNCTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT.

AJEWOLE O.AND L. POPOOLA

Department of forest Resources Management, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.

ABSTRACT

This paper examined the concept of monetization and its importance in valuation of the forest's social and environmental service functions, vis-à-vis its sustainable management. Various monetization techniques are highlighted and discussed. Some of these include surrogate price and replacement costs or costs avoided, value of production increases, opportunity costs, travel costs, hedonic pricing and contingent valuation method. (CVM).

The use of CVM is canvassed for, because of its highly flexible framework for the valuation of virtually all social and environmental benefits. It can also be easily adapted in developing and less developed countries, where inadequacy of data on socio-ecnomic and environmental characteristics make the use of most other valuation techniques problematic. Keen interest in monetization of forest's non-market benefits, will ensure “holistic approach” to conservation of our natural environmental resources.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE ONDO STATE AFFORESTATION PROJECT ON THE RURAL COMMUNITIES.

BIFARIN J.O. AND OSUNDARE F.O

Department of Agric. Extension and Management, Federal College of Agriculture, Akure, Ondo state, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

This project work identified and examined the socio-economic benefits derived by the community members from the Ondo State Afforestation project. Data were collected from one hundred and twenty respondents randomly selected from three communities namely Leege, Makinde and Imoru. Simple descriptive statistics such as frequency tables and percentages were used for data analysis.

The result shows that the project did well in terms of rural infrastructural support, employment generation but had shortcomings in providing needed agricultural assistance to farmers in the communities. It was therefore suggested that the project should strengthen its agricultural focus with emphasis on extension linkage.