Rural Households’ Attitude towards Potential Use of Jatropha for Environmental Restoration in Saki West Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined rural households’ attitude towards potential use of Jatropha for environmental restoration in Saki-West Local Government Area. A purposive sampling procedure was used in selecting due to deforestation for charcoal production, while 120 respondents were sampled with a simple random technique from the study area. The data were collected through a well-structured questionnaire with interview section, and were analyzed with frequencies, percentages, mean scores, and Pearson product moment correlation. There was correlation between rural households’ awareness on use of Jatropha and use of Jatropha for environmental restoration (r = 0.399**, p < 0.05). The respondents’ attitude was significantly related to their behavior in utilization of Jatropha for environmental restoration (r = - 0.182*, p < 0.05). The study showed that  awareness and attitude of rural households strongly influenced use of Jatropha for environmental restoration. The implication of this study is to ensure that the environment becomes free of hazards and degradation which affect survival of the ecosystem and biodiversity. Hence, government should join in the advocacy to open continuous channels of communication on the importance of Jatropha, and to also motivate the people to having right attitude towards the use of Jatropha as a measure to restoring the environment.

Keywords: Attitude, Rural Households, Jatropha, Environment, Restoration