Assessment on forest offences in North-central zone of Benue State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study was carried out to assess forest offences in North-central zone of Benue State. Purposive sampling and complete  enumeration were applied in data collection. Descriptive statistics, Likert scale and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to analyze the results. The result revealed that illegal felling (88.9%), poaching (70.4%), bush burning (85.2%), farm encroachment (81.5%), cattle grazing (81.5%) were identified as the major types of forest offences. Poverty (70.4%) had the highest proportion of causal factors responsible for forest offences. This was followed by unemployment (85.2%), ignorance (66.7%), while the least was high cost of permit (22.6%). The result also showed that extinction of flora and fauna (77.8%), land degradation loss of revenue (77.8%), loss of revenue (74.1%) and decline of timber species (74.1%) were the major impacts of forest offences in the North-central Zone of Benue State.  Impact of forest offences on the conservation of biodiversity in the study was high with mean values between 3.78 to 4.00. while the analysis of variance showed no significant difference between the variables considered. The challenges faced by respondents on forest offences were: fines with highest value of 81% followed by conservation education (77.8%), high cost of permit (74.1%), low awareness (74.1%), prosecution of offenders (70.4%), government policies (51.9%) and inadequate personnel (66.7%). The study concludes that forest offences are prevalent with high impact in the study area. Also, poverty and unemployment were identified as the major  causative factors Hence, the study recommends enforcement of forest legislations and effective governance of forest of forest  resources. It also recommends that deliberate efforts should be made by government and private organisations toward awareness, poverty reduction and job creation to reduce negative impacts on forest resources in the study area.

Keywords: Forest offences, Conservation, Sustainable forest management