FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE

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    CONFLICTS BETWEEN FORESTRY AND AGRICULTURAL LAND – USES IN OGUN STATE
    (2012-05) OTESILE, Adegboyega Ayodeji,
    Clash of interests between custodians of government Forest Reserves (FRs) in Ogun State and farmers operating within them, often results in conflicts causing disruption of socio-economic activities and sometimes loss of lives. Information on the causes and effects of these clashes would better inform policy makers and forestry professionals on workable and sustainable land-use practice. Therefore, factors responsible for such conflicts and their effects were investigated. Seven hundred and fifty farmers were randomly selected based on probability proportionate to size from 72 enclaves. This represents 30% of the total number of enclaves in the nine FRs in the State. In addition, 30% of staff of Ministries of Forestry and Agriculture (72 and 32 respectively) were randomly selected for questionnaire administration. Furthermore, 30% (32) of the timber contractors operating within the FRs were randomly selected for interview using an interview schedule. Data were collected on existence, causes and effects of conflicts, land hunger, accessibility to forestland and farming systems practised. Secondary data on the thrust of subsisting forestry and agricultural policies were obtained from the State Agricultural Policy, Federal land-use Act of 1978 and reports from the State Ministry of Forestry. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logit model at p<0.05. Among the farmers, descriptive statistics revealed that 74.3% had unauthorized access to FRs, 68.1% were resident within FRs while 55.4% utilized lands approved by government for farming. Furthermore, 68.7% of the farmers identified taungya system and shifting cultivation as the prevalent farming systems practised. An average of two forest land encroachment cases were reported at each of Arakanga and Edun stream FRs yearly in the last 10 years while an average of 24 forest land encroachment cases was reported yearly in the last 10 years in Omo FR. Also, results of logit regression analysis revealed that the location of FRs where farmers operate (odds ratio = 2.39), rights of farmers to use forestland for farming (odds ratio = 2.19) and farm size (odds ratio = 1.52) are factors that are likely to cause conflicts over the use of forest lands in Ogun state. Furthermore, descriptive analysis of timber contractors‟ response revealed that, 72.6% identified destruction of cash crops during timber exploitation as cause of conflicts between them and farmers. State Ministries of Forestry and Agriculture officials identified loss of forests (27% and 25.2%), species (25.5% and 24%) and lives (22.5% and 22%), as effects of conflicts in the FRs. The thrust of the extant agricultural land-use policy made no provision to UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY iv penalize forestland encroachers. Conflicts in the use of forest land ensued between farmers and timber contractors on one hand and farmers and forest custodians on the other. The existence of land hunger in the forest reserves host communities, unauthorized access to forest land and absence of provision for penalty in the extant agricultural land use policy for forest encroachers encouraged activities engendering conflicts over the use of forest land. Keywords: Land-use conflicts, Forest policy, Forest reserves, Land hunger Word count: 481
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    Status of forest reserve and forest management capabilities in Soutrhwestern Nigeria
    (Forestry Association of Nigeria, 2011) Fayenuwo, G. A; Popoola, L; Azeez, I.O
    The need for sustainable forest management cannot be over emphasized if the economic benefits of forests were to be met without ecological consequences. This pacer reports the prospect of sustainable forest management in the context of managerial capability in southwestern Nigeria, which is housing most of the forest resources relics in the county. The study was carried out in the South West geopolitical zone of Nigeria comprising Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, and Ekiti States using multi-stage random sampling. The target population for the study comprised the local inhabitants, forest management personnel and timber contractors/saw milers in each state. Information was sourced from each group using three sets of structured questionnaire and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) involving group of people of the same sex and age groups from each target population. Secondary data were also obtained from State Forestry Departments and archives. Information garnered was analysed using descriptive statistics. Findings revealed that all forest reserves in Osun, Ondo, Ogun and Lagos States have been intensively encroached upon; however the extent of the encroachment has not been fully established due to lack of adequate data in all the states. Most (98.6%) of the local inhabitants opined that the state government is solely responsible for the management of the forest reserves in the study area. The timber contractors /saw millers perceived law enforcement on forestry activities as low in Osun state (32.4%) and Lagos states (29.4%) but moderate in Ondo (42.3%) and Ogun states (26.5%). More importantly was the observation that government is more interested in revenue generation from the forests rather than their sustainable management, which 33.0% of the timber contractors/saw millers Inferred as responsible for the low regeneration drive from the sector. An average of 47.1% and 42.3% of the forest officials were also of the opinion that forest management in all the four states sampled was bad and very bad respectively. FGDs among them revealed that state governments have not gotten the capabilities of managing the forest estates effectively and efficiently. Their suggestions for mitigating the present management constraints centered on commensurable increase in the staff strength in Nigeria's Forestry Departments to meet forest extent and forest activities. Inappropriate policy framework was identified by all respondents as the underlying causes of much forest loss. The forestry official proffered preparation of management plan for each forest reserve (56.3%). education of stakeholders on sustainable management (17.6%), massive afforestation programme (36.6%) as well as private and community participation (31.7%) as sustainable forest management strategies.