Wildlife conservation and agrarian economy in communities around Kainji Lake National Park, Niger State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study was carried out to assess the wildlife conservation and agrarian economy in communities around Kainji lake national park of Niger state  Nigeria. The study was carried out in ten (10) randomly selected villages around Kainji Lake National Park namely (Luma, Kemenji, Kuble, New- Awuru, Old-Awuru, Dekera, Wawa, Woro, Malale, and Old Bussa). A total of 20 Questionnaires were administered in each community. Data was analysed using simple percentages, frequency counts and tables. The results revealed that most of the respondents (51.5%) engaged in farming for food production and income generation while about 31% of them engaged in farming for income generation only. Damages and destructions  caused by wild animals to crops in the study area is high and causes significant danger to the agrarian economy. Wild animals such as Hippopotamus (34.5%) raided the crop farms most, closely followed by Baboons (32.5%) and Patas monkey (24.5%). Farmers in retaliation adopted lethal methods such as using toxic chemicals (34%) and hunting (27.5%) to safeguard their crops. This study showed that conflict between man and animal is a serious problem in communities around conservation areas and this requires an urgent intervention to save animal in the study area  from extinction.

Keywords: Wildlife, Conservation, Agrarian economy, Hunting and Extinction.