Effects of Human-Wildlife Conflict on Households’ Food Security and Income in Communities around Kainji Lake National Park, Niger State, Nigeria: Implications on Wildlife Conservation

Mustapha Sani Bunza; Abideen Abiodun Alarape; Rilwan Oluyinka Adewale; Bello Bunza Abubakar; Zubeiru Dododawa

doi:10.56919/usci.2543.028

Authors

Mustapha Sani Bunza Department of Forestry and Environment, Faculty of Agriculture, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria Author
Abideen Abiodun Alarape Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Wildlife, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Abuja, Nigeria Author
Rilwan Oluyinka Adewale Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, Faculty of Agricultural and Renewable Resources, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Nigeria Author
Bello Bunza Abubakar Department of Agricultural Economics, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria Author
Zubeiru Dododawa Department of Forest Resources and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56919/usci.2543.028

Keywords:

human-wildlife interactions, financial loss, crop raiding, livelihood, food security

Abstract

Human–Wildlife Conflict (HWC) has become a fundamental aspect of wildlife management, but it threatens both wildlife and human welfare. Agriculture is an important sector for achieving food security, creating employment, and driving economic growth, as well as supplying raw materials for agro-based industries. However, households (HH) around Kainji Lake National Park (KLNP) experienced challenges, such as Human-Wildlife Conflict, which could undermine wildlife conservation efforts and agricultural productivity. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire and focus group discussions. Multi stage sampling procedure was employed in this study. In the first stage, all the communities adjacent to KLNP were stratified by distance into three groups: A (≤3 km), B (3-6 km), and C (>6 km). In the second stage, 23 out of 36 communities were purposely selected based on accessibility. In the third stage, 322 households (out of 1,060) were selected proportionate to size. Results of this study revealed that the majority (62.3%) had 21-30 livestock per HH and experienced a loss of 11-20 animals per annum. The number of farms affected by HWC varied significantly across communities: A (5±1.13), B (3±1.02), and C (2±0.03). These conflicts, often involving livestock depredation and crop damage, negatively affect the economic and social well-being of local communities. Annual financial losses due to crop raiding and livestock depredation per household were ₦60,987.40k and ₦50,891.80k; ₦45,807.47k and ₦40,689.12k; ₦30,692.63k and ₦20,463.32k, in the A, B, and C communities, respectively. This implies that HWC reduced with increasing distance from the park’s boundary. A positive association exist between annual financial loss due to crop raiding and household annual income χ2 (2, N=322) = 47.07, p < 0.05, financial loss due to livestock depredation and household annual income χ2(2, N=322) = 24.89, p < 0.05, number of livestock loss per annum and households’ total Livestock holding χ2(2, N=322) = 12.43, p < 0.05. This study established that HWC can undermine wildlife conservation efforts in KLNP as people retaliate against wildlife for perceived losses, sometimes through illegal hunting and habitat destruction.

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