ANALYSIS OF POVERTY STATUS OF FOREST DWELLERS IN COASTAL COMMUNITIES IN ONDO STATE
ABSTRACT
This study analyzed the poverty status of forest dwellers in coastal communities of Ondo State, Nigeria. Ten communities were randomly selected in the coastal region of Ondo State. In the two local government areas that were selected, two sets of structured questionnaires were administered to ten randomly selected respondents in each of the communities visited. The result of the study shows that 60% of the respondent in both communities has no formal education. In Okitipupa, 50% of the respondents earn₦ 80,000-₦100,000 while 44% of the respondents in the Ese-Odo community earn between ₦60,000-₦80,000 per annum. This study also showed that 38% and 36% of the respondents in the Ese-Odo and Okitipupa communities respectively have transportation problems. The Lorenz curve in the study shows the cumulative income share against the percentage of forest dwellers indicates that there is inequality in the income of the respondents. Government should help provide good roads and health centers in the rural areas of the study area. This will help to solve the transportation problem faced by many of the forest dwellers of the study area. By providing health centers, many of the respondents that are faced with ill-health problems will have access to better health services.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Title page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgment iv
Table of contents v-x
List of Tables ix
List of figures x
Abstract xi
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 Introduction 1
1,1 Background of the study 1
1.2 Problem statement 3
1.2.1 Research question 4
1.3 Objectives of the study 4
1.4 Justification 5
1.5 Scope of the study 5
CHAPTER TWO
2.0 Literature review 6
2.1 Meaning of poverty 6
2.2 Yardstick of poverty measurement 7
2.3 Standard of living 7
2.4 Characteristics of poor living 7
2.5 Causes of poverty 8
2.5.1 Famine 8
2.5.2 Inadequate education 8
2.5.3 Inadequate resources 9
2.5.4 War 9
2.5.5 National disaster 9
2.5.6 Inflation 9
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2.5.7 Management and government policy 9
2.6 Conservation of the forest reserves and its environment 10
2.6.1 Effect of rural poverty forest utilization 10
CHAPTER THREE
3.0 Methodology 11
3.1 Description of the study area 11
3.2 Method of data collection 12
3.3 Data Analysis 12
3.4 Hypothesis of the study 12
CHAPTER FOUR
4.0 Results and discussion 13
4.1 Results
4.1.1 General Information about the Sampled Communities in the Study
Area 13
4.1.1.1 Demographic Features of the Sampled Communities 16
4.1.1.2 Educational Background of the Key Informants 16
4.1.1.3 Distribution of Children, Young and Old People 18
4.1.1.4 Infrastructural Development 20
4.1.2 Analysis of Socio-Economic of Poverty 22
4.1.2.1 Sex Distribution and Age of Respondents 22
4.1.2.2 Marital Status of Respondents 25
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4.1.2.3 Household Size Distribution of Respondent 27
4.1.2.4 Educational Level of Respondents 29
4.1.2.5 Occupational Distribution of Respondents 31
4.1.2.6 Income Distribution of Respondents 33
4.1.2.7 Respondents Health Description, Amount Spent on treatment and
Facility Use 35
4.1.2.8 Respondents’ Means of Transportation 37
4.1.2.9 Type of House Respondents Occupies 39
4.1.2.10 Type of School Attended by Respondents’
Children in the Study Area 42
4.1.3 Analysis of Determinants of Poverty 44
4.1.3.1 Lorenz Curve 44
4.1.3.2 Interpretation of Gini Coefficient 46
4.2 Discussion 47
4.2.1 Incidence of Poverty of Forest Dwellers in Coastal Communities 47
4.2.2 Factor Influencing the Poverty 48
4.2.3 Income Inequality among Forest Dwellers in Coastal Communities49
CHAPTER FIVE
5.0 Conclusion and Recommendation 50
5.1 Conclusion 50
5.2 Recommendation 50
REFERENCES 51
APPENDICES 56
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Most societies have at some times in their development process seen a large number of
people living in conditions of poverty, unable to afford the minimum essentials for a decent
existence. Poverty has long been a historical fact and continues to be an unfortunate feature of
life.. Nevertheless, poverty is not a new topic in development economics; its alleviation has
mostly been associated with high economic growth rates. (Chaudhry et. al. 2009). Over 70
percent of the world’s poor are in developing countries, majorities of who reside in the
rural areas and are engaged in subsistence agriculture (Tadaro 1993; World Bank, 1997).
According to World Bank (2000), poverty is lack of command over commodities, or a
severe constriction of the choice set over commodities, leading to pronounced deprivation in well
being or welfare. This definition is much broader and extends beyond food and nonfood items to
include key assets and social determinants, which are essential for human development. Englama
and Bamidele (1997), Madinagu (1999), and Oladunni (2001) , defined poverty as a state of lack
of adequate basic necessities of life such as food, clothing, shelter; inability to meet social and
economic obligations, lack of gainful employment, skills, assets and self esteem, limited access
to social and economic infrastructure such as education, health, portable water and sanitation.
Poverty is a situation where a household or an individual is unable to meet the
basic necessities of life, which include consumption and non-consumption items, considered
as minimum requirement to sustain livelihood. Ogwumike (2001) and Odusola (2001)
referred to poverty as a condition of deprivation which could be in form of social
inferiority, isolation, physical weakness, vulnerability, powerlessness and humiliation. Generally,
a person’s perception of poverty is a function of his present experience, condition of his
environment, the aim of such definition, his vocation and his definition of the good life. For
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instance, the perception of poverty by the poor will be quite different from that of the rich.
Moreover, the perception of an economist will be quite different from that of the house
wife or an illiterate person. Apart from the increase in the incidence of poverty, the population of
the poor has been on the increase. Report from the Federal Office of Statistics (2001) revealed
that the percentage of the core poor increased from 62% in 1980 to 93% in 1996 whereas, that of
the moderately poor rose from 28.9 to 36.3% within the same period. The depth and severity of
poverty can also be seen in the proportion of income spent on consumption. The core and
moderately poor spent 75 and 73% of total income for consumption purposes, respectively, while
the non poor spent only 53% of total income on consumption. This is more or less an indication
that the economy is still largely underdeveloped. It cannot be gainsaid that poverty is the bane of
rural development in Nigeria considering its limitation on poverty is relative to country, people
and continent.
Nevertheless, coastal communities in Ondo State have received little attention, not only at
the level of policy issues on poverty but also empirical inquiry. The severity of the problem is the
reason the area is selected for this study. An understanding of the extent, nature, and
determinants of rural poverty of the coastal communities in Ondo State will provide information
that can stimulate effective action to reduce deprivation in the study area. The objective of this
study is to analyze the poverty status of the rural dwellers in the coastal communities in Ondo
State and to examine the impact of households’ socio-economic and demographic characteristics
on the poverty level.
1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT
The alarming rate of poverty among people of various age groups in Nigeria is at its
peak, most especially among forest dwellers and it can be easily accessed through the high rate
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of illiteracy, poor social health care facilities, bad road networks, low wages for labour and
productivity amongst people of different age categories. This level of poverty can easily be
identified among rural dwellers.
In rural areas, poor natural resource endowment and/or access are among the most
important forces sustaining initial poverty and transforming it into long duration and
multidimensional poverty (Shah, 2010). The poor in the coastal communities find it more
difficult to exit poverty owing to a combination of factors, including poor agronomic potential,
limited scope for diversification, weak infrastructure, remoteness and social or political
marginalisation. Poverty among rural dwellers in Ondo State is very high (Omisore, 2008). This
has led to over- exploitation of forest resources in the state leading to soil exposure, soil
erosion, flooding and decline food production. At the same time, many of our forest
reserves in the state has been under increasing threat of destruction as a result of high
incidence of poverty among rural dwellers in the state as observed by Adedoyin(1997).
Thus, the comfortable living of the poor becomes severe problems that need to be
improved. In order to meet the basic necessities of life, they engage in reckless and
destructive use of forest resources and renewable natural resources. In this view, it is
difficult to curb the alarming rate of deforestation, forest misuse and encroachment into
the forest reserves. The situation as of today, is such that many livelihood are now
threatened and ability to earn income becomes a great difficulty for people living in the
coastal communities in Ondo State .
1.2.1 Research Questions
i. What is the pattern of income distribution in the area?
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ii. What is the extent of poverty situation in coastal communities in Ondo State?
iii. What is the nature of poverty among the people in the study area?
iv. Which group (or subgroup) of people in the coastal communities in Ondo State are most
vulnerable and not vulnerable to poverty?
v. What has been the action to the implementation of welfare package by both the
government and non-government organization in the region?
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The general objective of the study is to analyze the poverty status of forest dwellers in
coastal communities in Ondo State.
The specific objectives are;
Ø To examine the level of poverty among the coastal communities in Ondo State
Ø To identify the factors influencing the poverty level of respondents
Ø To examine the level of income inequality among the respondents
1.4 JUSTIFICATION
In Nigeria unlike many other developing countries of the world, the issues of poverty has
become a great problem and a matter for serious concern. This is because poverty has been
identified as the driving force behind the destructive use of non timber forest products and
encroachment into forest reserves in the country. In the past years, there has been a lot of survey
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and researches conducted on poverty, its new dimension among Nigeria population, its causes
and how it can be alleviated.
However, there is no sustainable information to date in Nigeria on the causes and effects
of poverty within and around rural area in Ondo State, Nigeria. This study will help to provide
information on the status of poverty in coastal communities in Ondo State.
The study will even be more appropriate for a state like Ondo State that has many rural
communities in it. A mission-oriented inquiry of this nature will help to design policies and
strategies that will help to reduce poverty among forest dwellers living in coastal communities in
Ondo State.
1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This study is restricted to coastal communities in Ondo State. Two Local Government
Areas (LGAs) is randomly selected from the Mangrove/Freshwater swamp vegetation zone in
the State. Five rural coastal communities will be randomly selected from each LGA.
.