article · Asian Journal of Research in Agriculture and Forestry
A survey of 250 rural community members living near forests in Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria, evaluates the role of non-timber forest products in local livelihoods. The most collected resources are fuelwood, bush meat, fruits, medicinal plants, and charcoal, which collectively make up more than half of all harvested items. Items such as mushrooms, fodder, bush mango, honey, essential oils, and forest insects are gathered at much lower rates. Community ratings demonstrate that non-timber forest resources make their strongest contributions to food, fuel, and healthcare, alongside supporting local trade and recreational needs. Overall, these natural products function as a vital economic and survival safety net for rural households. To maintain these critical resources, there is a clear requirement for formal policy interventions that support sustainable harvesting methods and foster community-led conservation initiatives.
Rural communities often depend heavily on local forest ecosystems to meet day-to-day requirements for nutrition, energy, and medicine. Understanding which resources are gathered most frequently helps policymakers and conservation practitioners design targeted interventions. Balancing community survival needs with sustainable harvesting practices is essential to prevent forest degradation while ensuring that vulnerable households retain access to critical livelihood resources.
The findings identify active local trade in natural resources, particularly fuelwood, fruits, medicinal plants, and honey. While this study represents early-stage baseline research rather than product development, the documented demand could inform community enterprises or value-addition initiatives. Moving toward formalised applications would require establishing structured, sustainable harvesting frameworks and community-led supply chains, as the current activities exist entirely at an informal, subsistence-oriented stage.
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This study assessed the contribution of forest resources to rural livelihoods in Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria. Pre-tested semi-structured questionnaires were administered to 250 respondents selected through multi-stage and simple random sampling, based on their proximity to forest areas and utilization of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs). Descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentages, mean, and Likert scale rating, were used to analyze the data. The results revealed that fuelwood (14.9%) had the highest proportion of NTFPs collection, followed by bush meat (12.1%), fruits (10.6%), medicinal plants (9.6%), and charcoal (9.3%). In contrast, the lowest proportions were recorded for mushrooms (3.3%), fodder (2.8%), bush mango, honey, essential oil (1.9% each), and forest insects (1.3%). The Likert scale results indicated a high level of contribution for NTFPs in food (WMS, 4.6), fuel (WMS, 3.9), medicine (WMS, 3.6), trade (WMS, 3.3), and recreation (WMS, 3.2). The findings suggest that NTFPs play a vital role in rural livelihoods, serving as a safety net. Therefore, deliberate policy measures are necessary to ensure sustainable harvesting practices and establish community-led conservation initiatives for sustainable forest management.
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DOI: 10.9734/ajraf/2025/v11i2391
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