The savanna ecosystem covers about 48.5% of Nigeria’s land area. It is a national common for intensive cropping and extensive grazing. Fierce competition for land and water resources among the crop farmers and pastoralists is a common... more
The savanna ecosystem covers about 48.5% of Nigeria’s land area. It is a national common for intensive cropping and extensive grazing. Fierce competition for land and water resources among the crop farmers and pastoralists is a common feature. This article shares insights from two separate, but linked, studies conducted in the Nigerian savanna on the livelihood and food security of the local peasant farming communities and the vulnerability of the settled Fulani agro-pastoralists’ livelihoods. Household interviews, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews were employed among both the farming and agro-pastoralist communities. 191 respondents in 11 local farming communities and 201 households in 40 Fulani sub-communities (pastoral family steads locally referred to as “gaa”) were sampled in Ogun, Oyo, and Kwara States. Evidence from the studies suggests that poor resource governance arrangment is a key factor of 1 Department of Geography, University of Lagos, Nigeria 2 Dep...
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The rise of Chinese infrastructure investment in Africa has raised a set of questions about whose development agendas are being fulfilled by such projects, where the power lies in these negotiations, and how local communities are impacted... more
The rise of Chinese infrastructure investment in Africa has raised a set of questions about whose development agendas are being fulfilled by such projects, where the power lies in these negotiations, and how local communities are impacted by the projects. Current assumptions see China as holding the power in these relations and that its state-backed transnational corporations unilaterally get their way. This paper challenges these simplistic assumptions by examining the case of a ‘failed’ Chinese project - the Zamfara Dam in Northern Nigeria – and in doing so makes a case for the role of African political agency in brokering Chinese engagement. The dam project was initiated in 2008 between the Zamfara State government and the China Geo-Engineering Corporation; funding was supposed to come from the Chinese ExIm Bank. After the initial assessment and community consultations that spanned three years, the project failed to take off. Primary data is used to understand the process of fail...
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ABSTRACT The Article investigates perceived climate change trends and the types of ecosystem-based adaptation that were adopted by various gender groups in the Nigerian wooded savannah.The study sourced data via a household survey,... more
ABSTRACT The Article investigates perceived climate change trends and the types of ecosystem-based adaptation that were adopted by various gender groups in the Nigerian wooded savannah.The study sourced data via a household survey, key-informant interviews and three focus group discussions in 11 communities in the study area. The study shows that the livelihoods of both male and female groups in the study population are ecosystem based. Perceived changes in the local climate included delay in the onset of rain, reduction in the total annual rainfall and early cessation of the rainy season which affected the livelihoods of men and women differently. Common ecosystem-based adaptation options are based on the impacts and the need for livelihood support, charcoal production by men, while women engaged in gardening and seed harvesting. The study also showed that uncontrolled harvesting of forestry resources without replanting have negative implications for terrestrial ecosystems and the livelihoods of both the male and female population groups in the study area. The study found that sustainable ecosystems will be enriched by involving a full range of capacity development that is beneficial to both gender groups at local and national level.
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Abstract Forests and forest products can play a significant role in mitigation of harmful effects of green house gas emissions. They can act as a “sink” to absorb emissions and store large quantities of Carbon for extended periods of... more
Abstract Forests and forest products can play a significant role in mitigation of harmful effects of green house gas emissions. They can act as a “sink” to absorb emissions and store large quantities of Carbon for extended periods of time. Forests are also an important ...
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The consequences of climate change and extreme meteorological events, particularly for rural dwellers is the collapse of many natural resource based livelihood systems. Thus as an adaptation strategy, many households often need to change... more
The consequences of climate change and extreme meteorological events, particularly for rural dwellers is the collapse of many natural resource based livelihood systems. Thus as an adaptation strategy, many households often need to change their major occupation or supplement it with some other jobs that may be less vulnerable to during extreme weather conditions. This study examines livelihood diversification consequent on climate change and /or extreme weather events in the semi-arid regions of Nigeria. This is with a view to determining the sustainability of adaptation strategies among rural dwellers. Using a mixed method approach, Focus Group Discussion sessions and structured questionnaire were used to obtain information from 150 rural households in five communities around Kanji Lake, Nigeria. The study reveals that rural dwellers were aware of the abnormal change in temperature and the interruptions in the rainfall regime to which they were acquitted. Moreover, about 62% of farm...
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This article was submitted without an abstract, please refer to the full-text PDF file.
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This article was submitted without an abstract, please refer to the full-text PDF file.
Research Interests:
This article was submitted without an abstract, please refer to the full-text PDF file.
Research Interests:
This article was submitted without an abstract, please refer to the full-text PDF file.
Research Interests:
This article was submitted without an abstract, please refer to the full-text PDF file.