Socio-economic impact of non-farming activities on the livelihood of the rural dwellers around Onigambari Forest Reserve, Oluyole Local Government Ibadan, Oyo State

Abstract

Socio-economic impact of non-farming activities and its contribution to the livelihood of the rural dwellers around Onigambari Forest Reserve area of Oluyole local government of Oyo state was carried out. The study examined the impact of non-farming activities on livelihood to Sustainable Forest Management. Five communities were randomly chosen for the study, and a document indicating the population size of the selected communities was obtained from the National Population Commission of the State (1996) from which the population of the selected communities was computed using the population projection formula: Pn = Poert. Primary data was used for this study with the aid of a well-structured questionnaire. One hundred and eighty-three (183) questionnaires were administered. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to analyze the data and Chi-square was used to compare observed result with expected result. The ages of the respondents were between 31 and 40 years, and this age bracket is composed of youth and few adults; this means that most respondents are energetic, gender sensitive with male dominated activities coupled with marital responsibility. Many (47.5%) of the respondents have a household size of 5-7, about 37.2% had primary education while 34.4% respondents have between 11-15years of farming experience. There are 55.1% respondents that practiced non-farming to generate income. Non-farming activities help to reduce deforestation and other illegal activities thereby contributing to Sustainable Forest Management. Non- Farming activities could be combined with other jobs for livelihood sustenance as about 45.9% (highest) respondents trade and had their secondary occupation to be farming. Non-farming is an attractive business to the rural dwellers and there is great need for the adoption of non-farming activities to reduce poverty and unemployment rates and to conserve the forest in the study area.