Deforestation Adaptation Strategies Among Farmers in Nigeria

The study examined deforestation adaptation strategies among farmers in Mubi South Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Nigeria. A proportionality factor was used in the selection of 120 respondents for the study. Data were collected through the use of a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, Likert-scale and multiple regression analysis were used to analyse the data. The findings revealed that most (86.7%) of the respondents were within the ages of 20–50 years, educated (97.5%), males (86.7%) and married (70.0%) with household sizes of 6–10 persons (58.3%). Most of the respondents (91.7%) had between 11 and above 21 years of farming experience. Farming activities, fuel wood extraction and illegal lumbering activities were ranked foremost among the causes of deforestation in the area. The results revealed that the use of fuel efficient wood stove, use of corn straw for cooking, domestication of medicinal plants and conservation agriculture were ranked foremost among the deforestation adaptation strategies by the respondents. The results of the multiple regressions showed that age, education level, farming experience and extension contacts positively influence the use of adaptation strategies to deforestation. The constraints to deforestation adaptation strategies shows that lack of capital ranks 23 per cent; resistance to change, 22.3 per cent, and lack of awareness, 22 per cent, among respondents. It was concluded that respondents were in their active and productive age and had acquired one form of formal education or the other. Adaptation strategies are dominated by married farmers and males with household size of 6–10 persons and farming experience of 1–10 years. Farmers have less access to extension contacts and this constraint limited adaptation strategies. It was recommended that efforts should be intensified in educating farmers through concerted efforts of extension agents and agricultural radio programmes with the view to properly guide and educate farmers on effective afforestation strategies and sustainable strategies to be adopted in the study area. Government should educate farmers through the use of extension agents to teach farmers/respondents how to use alternative sources to cook; for instance, gather wood shavings, maize cubs or charcoal to make cooking fire as against felling trees.