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Table 6.4 summarises the responses on the perceived importance of forest resources to human life, based on seven items with a four-point scale ranging from ‘not important’ to ‘very important’. A value of 2.0 (indicating a somewhat indifferent opinion) was taken as the reference point for this scale. Using the mean scores as the bases for interpretation, five of the seven items, 6.4(a), (c), (d), (e) and (g), had mean scores of more than one standard deviation (SD) above the reference point, indicating that there was a significant and coherent majority opinion that these items are

‘important’ or ‘very important’. The remaining two items, 1.4(b) and (f), had mean scores within one SD of the neutral position, indicating that the item is viewed as ‘somehow important’ to

‘important’, or with a divergent fraction of the population group holding a view that these items were ‘not important’. Forests/woodlands may be useful in other countries, but

they are not useful here

Table 6.4 Analysis of the importance of forest resources: number (percentage), mean and standard deviation. (n = 300)

Aspects of life

No opinion Not Important Somehow Important Important Very Important Mean

Score SD f. Survival of other life forms 13

(4.3)

** Mean score more than one SD above the reference value of 2.00, indicating significant importance.

The analysis revealed that (c) household economy and (a) wealth respectively had the highest mean scores. Recreation (b) and (f) survival of other life forms had the lowest mean scores. It is reasonable to expect that the majority of people found forest products important to their individual household economies because they can collect the products for domestic use and sell them for income. Forests are important only to the extent that they meet socio-economic needs. This also implies that personal gains from forest resources counted much more than indirect collective benefits accruing to the people through government policies. To the respondents, forests are not avenues for relaxation. The inference drawn from this result is that the greater the economic and social benefit derivable from forest resources by individuals or groups, the more they perceive the forest to be ‘important’.

Statements by participants during the FGD further complement the results of statistical analyses as illustrated below:

“Forests are very important to our livelihood and survival. As a school boy I made a little money to get something for myself and support my parents by killing rodents and selling them.” (A participant in a FGD)

“O se Pataki fun wa inu ilu yi. Ti a ko ba lo si oko, ko si o je. (It is important to us in this village. If we do not go to the farm there is no food for us.)” (Participant in a FGD)

“Igbo je ohun ti awon enyin ma mu fii se ooro. O je ohun alumoni ti Olorun fun wa lati ma lo fun igbadun. Iwe mimo papa fi ye wa pe, gbogbo eranko eyiti ti nrin tabi ti nfo ati awon eweko la fifun ni fun lilo awon enyin. (Forests are the source of wealth for people.

It is the natural resources given to us by God for our comfort. The Holy Bible makes us understand that all animals and vegetation are given to us humans for our use.)”

(Participant in a FGD)

Reacting to the question on forests as sources of recreation, a participant stated the following:

“Forest resources are important to me and majority of people living here only when we can derive our livelihood and riches from them. What is recreation? You mean going to play around in the bush for nothing. How could I go into the forest to play or watch animals and birds running and hopping from tree to tree, when such animals are good for food?” (Participant in a FGD)

Another participant declared:

“You are right; it could be a source of recreation for people who live in urban centres with money and time, but not to people like us here. Rural people don’t have time to wander about in the forest for fun. People go into the forest to meet their household needs. If people see you walking about in the forest here, they will think you are not normal.”

An enlightened participant had this to say:

“I don’t think people understand you rightly. A forest can be and is an avenue for recreation and tourism. The problem here is that government is not promoting tourism and the challenges people are facing in order to make ends meet do not leave them with time for leisure. I don’t think people in urban centres or rich people have the time either.”

Asked about the importance of forests to the country, a participant reacted this way:

“I don’t care whether the government makes money from the forests. It is the survival of my household that is important. When government makes the money, do they bring it to the community or [to] me? For years government has carved out that reserve (referring to a forest reserve nearby) you see on your way here and have not bothered to do anything for the community. We were not employed to work there. When our women and children mistakenly go there in search wood for fire they are sometimes arrested or driven out by the forest guards.” (Participant in a FGD)

One of the village heads during an interview captured the mood of his community members:

“Forests are important for the people here; they provide many things for people to live on. The majority of people here depend on the forest for their livelihood. As for government, I don’t want to discuss government.”

(Interviewer) “We are not discussing government. I just want to know your opinion about how forest is important to the government.”

“We know they (government) are making lot of money from the forest reserve. We see Lorries “agbegilodo” carrying woods passing here every day. People sat they sell them to some people who take them to places like Lagos, Ibadan even outside the country. But we are not getting anything. They said they have paid our fathers and forefathers’ money (compensation) when the land was collected from them, now we do not have rights to the place again.”

“The forest and all that is in it are important. I am a farmer and a rural man to the core.

I have lived all my live in the village. I was born in the forest, grew up in the forest, and forest is my life. So, I should be interested in what goes on in the forest. It is however sad

and disheartening to see how the forest has been exploited in the quest for money and development especially by the government.” (A village head)

In Nigeria, as in many cultures and communities throughout Africa, there exist sacred trees and forests. Also, there are myths and folktales which are used to explain human relationships with spiritual realms. In the study areas, forests are seen as dwelling places for spirits and gods. Forests play a significant role in the cultural life of communities. The elders, chiefs and traditional rulers are the custodians of culture; they perform rituals and sacrifices in the forest for ancestral gods.

Shrines and places for traditional worship are built in the forests. In the study areas, people value traditional rituals and protect forests.

Traditionally protected forests are used for four purposes. These include sacred forests where the gods of the land are worshipped, forests where the coronation of new kings is carried out, places where herbalists look for new plants, and forests used for initiation into secret cults. When people were asked about the spiritual importance of the forest to the community in an informal conversation and FGD, several of the participants were quick to respond; others bluntly refused on the grounds of their religious beliefs.

“You mean “Igbo Oro” (sacred forests)? The “Igbo Oro” is a designated forest set aside by the community for religious and ritual activities. It is often associated with secrecy and initiation rites.” (Participant in a FGD)

“You see, among the Ijebus some natural forests are reserved as “Igbo Oro” or “Igbo Agemo” (Agemo is the traditional festival of the Ijebus) where not many people are allowed to enter. Such reserved forests are usually used for traditional worship which requires that few people go into them maybe once or twice in year, thereby preventing the destruction of the forest.” (Participant in a FGD)

Asked if there are other purposes for the “Igbo Oro”, one of the participants responded:

“Yes, especially for the herbalists and Ifa priests. They go there to search for wild herbs used in the preparation of medicine. I think it is a long tradition, people are forbidden to go into the place to defecate. Some people say it is a means of preserving the wild herbs by the herbalists.” (Participant in a FGD)

“You see, when some people talk of home, they don’t think of home and house around here but they think of the forest. Every tribe or people have a place in the forest referred to as home – “Oko”. People go to the forests sometimes to enjoy the solitude and tranquility and run away from the stress of the life in the community.” (A chief of one of the villages during an interview)

An old man explained:

“Every family has their own forestland and the use of the resources therein, but the community sacred grove has been there since the establishment of the community. It is this forest that people are not allowed to go into without our permission. In fact, here in the forest you are not allowed to hunt or defecate. It is the home of the spirits of the founding fathers of this community.”

These comments confirm the earlier assertion concerning the dual religious practices among people. The remarks also suggest that forests have cultural and spiritual meanings and values for the people.