THE EFFECT OF COMMUNITY-BASED NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME ON PARTICIPATING COMMUNITIES IN ONDO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This research analyzed the effect of community based natural resource management programme on participating communities in Ondo state, Nigeria. The study assessed the level of infrastructural development in the participating communities before and after IFAD/NDDC-CBNRMP intervention, determines the level of participation in decision making, examine the effect of participation on the standard of living of the beneficiaries and determined the influence of selected social economic factors on the participation in decision making. Survey method was adopted in gathering data and the data collected were carefully analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study shows that various infrastructural development were achieved in all the participating communities between 2010-2015. Also the result shows that 66 percent of IFAD participating farmers were actively involved in making decisions in respect of the programme implementation in the communities. Similarly, the study shows that factors such as ability to provide meal, medical, payment of school fee and house rent with a mean rating of 3.92, 3.55, 3.43, 3.39 respectively had a tremendous impact on the standard of living of the beneficiary while various social economic factors were found to influence the level of participation in decision making. The study concludes that IFAD/CBNRMP has had a great effect on the participants as well as the participating community in Ondo State, Nigeria. The study therefore recommends that CBNRMP staff should work more closely with the participant at increasing their stake in decision making in various stages of the programme.