Assessment of the fuelwood value chain in Yobe, Nigeria

International Conference on Sustainable Energy and Green Technology 2018

能源学;生态环境科学

Ali, B.^1^2 ; Saadun, N.^2^3 ; Alias, M.A.^2 ; Norizah, K.^2^3

Federal University Gashua, Yobe State, Nigeria^1

Faculty of Forestry, Universiti Putra Malaysia, UPM, Serdang, Selangor

43400, Malaysia^2

Institute of Tropical Forestry and Forest Products, Universiti Putra Malaysia, UPM, Serdang, Selangor

43400, Malaysia^3

关键词: Active monitoring;    Direct observations;    Fuelwood;    Fuelwood demands;    Open-ended questionnaire;    State governments;    Sustainable practices;    Value chains;   

Others  :  https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1755-1315/268/1/012063/pdf
DOI  :  10.1088/1755-1315/268/1/012063

学科分类：环境科学（综合）

来源: IOP

【 摘 要 】

This study aims to assess the characteristics of the fuelwood value chain in Yobe, Nigeria. Data were collected through state government records, direct observations, focus group discussions, and interviews with key informants using open-ended questionnaires. Results showed that the fuelwood value chain comprises five functions: harvesting, transporting, trading, retailing, and consumption. The analysis further revealed five sub-chains characterized by actors in which two sub-chains were classified as formal (registered with associations and functioning with licenses) and three were classified as informal (not registered with an association and functioning without license). The presence of informal actors in the value chain observed in this study is widespread due to weak governance, high fuelwood demand, and corruption. Consequently, their poor practices have added extra pressure on the forest and is threatening the environment, fuelwood availability, accessibility, and market. The intrusion of informal actors needs to be properly addressed by the government through measures that include an efficient and flexible licensing system, strict implementation of fuelwood regulations, active monitoring, increase of awareness on the benefits of licensing and operating as registered actors in an organized group on job security, profits, and the environment and improved supervision of the forest laws' enforcement agents to curtail corruption.