Browsing by Author "Onyema, M.C"

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7

Conflicts of land tenure and tree tenure on land use and management among agro-based households in Nigeria
(2013) Azeez, I. O; Onyema, M.C
Tenure issues in natural resources management and control limit agricultural enterprise and effective land use. Conflicts arising from land tenure and tree tenure were examined in eight (8) communities across Northern and Southern Nigeria. The research included preliminary surveys, interviews and questionnaires to obtain relevant information on tenure conflict history, agricultural enterprises, resource user groups and rights exercised in land use and management. Root cause analysis was used to identify underlying and immediate causes of tenure conflicts. Furthermore, the intensity of conflict was analysed using resource devolution tool. Results obtained show informal procedural patterns of resource ownership and transfers as key underlying cause in land-tree tenure conflict in the Northern region while appreciation in the resource value was key underlying cause in the Southern region. The conflict situation affected different categories of resource users. In addition, to individualized agro-enterprises modifications among households, there are pluralized enterprise activities: a response to the conflict situation. In both regions, access, withdrawal and management rights had high intensity conflict cases involving mostly small scale farmers, land trustees, land tenants and land owners. Standardized property titling, strengthening of local/customary institutions in alternative dispute resolution and development of flexible tenure system to accommodate resource poor user groups especially in rural areas are salient policy issues that can stem resource conflict incidence.
Determinants of proportions of household land used for forestry practice in Southeast Nigeria
(2017-06) Azeez, I.O; Onyema, M.C
Forestry activities if properly planned, designed and executed can provide significant economic, social and environmental benefits. But land availability and more importantly size, determines the level of investment in forestry. The growing scarcity and social issues surrounding land acquisition necessitate identifying opportunities to enhance forestry development at the household level. Thus, this study investigated the determinants of the proportion of a household land that can be put into forestry use by households in South-eastern Nigeria. Seven (7) communities were randomly selected from Imo and Anambra States. Semi-structured questionnaire was administered to ten percent (10%) of heads of households in the selected communities. A total of 547 sets of questionnaire were administered but, 490 were used for analysis. The questionnaire was based on the socio-economic background of the respondents, their number of farmlands, average size of farmland unit and proportion of the household farmlands, which can be used for forestry activity. Data generated were analysed using bar chart, frequency table and Tobit regression. Modal percentage of total farm land available for forestry activities was 54.0% while the lowest was 17.4%. Also, the form of household leadership, occupation and education of respondents as well as indigenous forestry groups had impacts on the percentage of land area that household heads are putting up for forestry activities in the study area. While male headed households and farmers show more interest in forestry activities, the educated elites hold a reverse perception.
Determinants of small-scale forestry practice preferences among landowners and land users in Imo State, Nigeria
(2015) Azeez, I. O; Onyema, M.C
Undertaking forestry practices on private land as a land use activities had been submitted to be mostly situational. There is a strong relationship between forestry and livelihood systems. This makes forestry practice a critical decimal in rural land use equation, most especially in tropical dry forest environment where soil nutrient is maintained by rich vegetation cover. But, in Southeastern Nigeria, the situations that can engender voluntary practice of forestry on private lands had not been thoroughly investigated. This paper therefore reports the findings of our investigation on such situation among land owners and users in Imo State, Nigeria. Multistage sampling technique was used in selecting 10% of the households across nine (9) randomly selected local communities in each of the three (3) geo-political districts of Imo State, Southeastern Nigeria. Using rapid rural appraisal technique, an estimated 5,091 households were documented across the selected nine communities out of which 509 were sampled. Data were collected with well-structured questionnaire, which formed the research instrument. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multi-nomial logit regression. Highest preference was expressed by the respondents for raising fruit trees (71.2%) and planting trees with arable crops (60.3%) while lowest preference was for raising woodlot (23.9%). Males showed likelihood for planting medicinal herbs/shrubs (Coeff = 0.897) while females had likelihood for raising woodlot (Coeff = -0.402) within household lands. Within nuclear households, there is tendency for more household preference for planting timber tree species (Coeff = 0.136). This may be adduced to planting of trees within arable cropland to expectedly increase with increase in farm size. The reverse is however the case with raising woodlots on farm land (Coeff = -0.494). The higher energy needs of extended family may be responsible for this. These situations are therefore recommended to be built into planning and policy formulation premise to improve forestry practice for sustainable rural and national development.
Determinants of unwillingness to practice farm forestry among households in the humid zone of Nigeria
(School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology, Federal University of Technology Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria, 2015) Onyema, M.C; Azeez, I.O
Public sector dominance of forestry practices across the globe impedes realization of local and international forestry development targets despite huge local and international investments in the subsector. The need for private forestry practice as compliment to public initiatives on forestry development therefore becomes imperative. This paper reports the bottlenecks for private farm forestry practices among households in the humid zone of Nigeria where environmental hazards necessitate urgent tree planting initiatives. Groups/individuals with stakes in forestry were identified through stakeholder analysis across selected communities in Imo State, Nigeria. Relevant information was obtained using a set of questionnaire, which are supplemented with FGDs and IDIs. Baseline data on household forestry-based activities were obtained and analysed using Chi-square test of independence and logit regression models. Unwillingness by indigenous residents and local-based farmers was significantly influenced by their household sizes and conservation awareness. Traditional/religious leaders, landlords (landowners) in both communities surveyed correspondingly expressed resilience to propagate or condone forestry/conservation practices in their domain. Local-based farmers and indigenous residents in the study area expressed fear for any land use change that may contravene existing norms and practices. A robust and integrated grassroots’ motivation approach towards re-orientations of different categories of stakeholders’ mindset is therefore recommended to encourage private sector forestry entrepreneurship in the study area.
Influence of Extension Education on Adoption of Forestry Conservation Practices in South Eastern Nigeria
(Centre for Sustainable Development, University of Ibadan, 2016) Onyema, M.C; Azeez, I.O
Extension education programmes were observed to have positive impact on different sectors of the economy in developed society. However, forestry and other natural resources sub-sectors in Africa and by extension, Nigeria still lag behind and its growth and development is nothing compared with other sub-sectors. This paper reports the influence of conservation and extension education programmes on the adoption of conservation practices by households in Anambra Sate, south-eastern Nigeria with the view to determining the impact of education on natural resources conservation and development. The study was targeted at household heads across selected communities in Aguata agricultural zone of Anambra State, Nigeria, using, village grouping meetings and two sets of structured and open ended questionnaire. Information was sought on respondents’ participation levels in extension education and relative adoption rates of household level conservation practices. Data obtained were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Awareness and education programmes considered include governmental non-governmental conservation programmes earlier executed in the study area, Anambra State Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) extension services as well as conservation/forestry extension training and education provided specifically for the study being reported. Respondents’ consent to participating in identified conservation programmes in the stud area was highest (91.6%) for conservation of trees that are located away from their residence. This was followed by training in poultry and wildlife domestication (90.4%). The least interest was expressed for arable and tree crop mix on the same land (10.8%). Also, planting of palm and exotic trees in the study area were found to have stemmed from the households’ access to government extension services (X2=7.3 and 4.6; df = 2) and the research organized through forestry extension education/awareness training (X2= 15.1 and 9.7; df = 1). Respondents’ participation in past conservation education programmes has impacted on poultry and wildlife domestication (X2= 8.16; df = 2), agri-silviculture (X2 = 12.8; df =2) and land management practice (X2 = 4.8; df =2) activities in the study area. Village level discussions showed that respondents’ would readily adopt innovations, which are compatible with their traditional agricultural practices although such adoption will depend on the frequency of their exposure to innovative programmes. It was also found that Local conservation programmes and activities especially for the informal sector of the economy can be made more robust and better executed periodically and jointly too by public and private organizations and stakeholders.
Poverty and land access in Igbo land Nigeria: implications for policy and Agroenterpreneurship development
(2013-12) Azeez, I. O; Onyema, M.C
Household livelihood across Africa 50 years after independence have recorded lean improvements especially in terms of access to essential production inputs. Household rate of land access, means of access, Household rate of land access, means of access, welfare and investment capacities, land cost and the linkage between access to land and the above measured parameters were investigated using a set of questionnaires administered to urban and rural settlements. Descriptive results showed that poverty incidence was high (60%) especially in rural areas is distant from expectations of the MDGs. Lands were obtained majorly through land purchase indicative of growing land commercialization whose cost (per ha.) ranged from N500,000 to N1m. Access to land (in rural, urban settlements) had low positive correlations with age in both settlements (0.181, 0.163), with education (0.183, 0.25) and welfare capacity (0.25, 0.82). Similarly, regression line showed negative slopes, low but positive coefficients (R2) with welfare poverty (R2=0.041) and investment poverty (R2=0.017) indicating limiting influence of different poverty forms to livelihood and household productivity. Periodic review of land administration, unified land policy thrust along the lines of reviving interest especially among youths in agriculture through incentives (tuition-free agricultural disciplines), implementation synergy, capacity building and granting of loans as financial safety net are key achievable policy options.
Prospect of land grant for forestry development in Igboland, Nigeria
(School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology, Federal University of Technology Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria, 2015) Azeez, I. O; Onyema, M.C
Forests are assets that can promote community development and improve household livelihood if sustainably managed. The foremost constraint to sustainable forest management however, is land and in Nigeria, the southeastern (SE) region which is the dominant geographical location of Igboland has the lowest forest cover and available land area for development. This paper therefore reports the prospect of land grant for forestry development activities in the region. Multi-stage sampling (involving States in the region, their LGAs, Communities and Households) was used to select 1,133 households at 40%, 30%, 20% and 10% intensities for the study. A set of structured and semistructured questionnaire was administered to households in the sampled communities. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multinomial regression at α0.05. The proportion of male respondent for the study was high (82.0%). They are engaged in civil service (40.0%), businesses (23.0%) and farming (16.0%). The average cost of a plot of household land is N42,076 and average monthly income was about N79,080. Consent of granting land to forestry development groups by household heads was found to be skewed towards indigenous group (32.1%) followed by NGOs (21.4%) and government forestry department (15.9%). The income of the households as well as market cost of a plot of the household land will positively influence land grant for forestry projects. Age of landowners however showed negative significant influence to land grant for forestry. The possibility of land grant to indigene groups with forestry interests could be comparatively highest in rural communities located away from urban sprawl (Coeff. = 0.092). Thus, for forestry to thrive in Igboland, it should aim at building and foster local content as well as strengthen interest through attractive incentives.