Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in non-timber forest products (NTFPs) exploitation and economic growth in Cross River State, Nigeria

Exploitation of forest resources is one of the main stays of economic livelihood in Nigeria and Cross River State (CRS) in particular. However, due to the increasing rate of deforestation and the campaign against logging and other forms of depletion of timber resources, what is left in the forests are largely the non-timber forest products (NTFPs). This study thus, focused on the exploitation of NTFPs as a form of income by micro and small enterprises in CRS. Multistage sampling techniques and structured questionnaires were used to obtain cross sectional data on the socioeconomic characteristics, the different types of NTFPs, their uses and the returns from NTFPs trade to households in 5 (Five) LGAs in the southern senatorial district of the State (Akpabuyo, Bakassi, Akamkpa, Biase and Odukpani). In all, 500 (Five Hundred) questionnaires were administered and 482 (Four Hundred and Eighty-Two) were returned. Out of these, 22 (Twenty- Two) were mutilated beyond use, while 460 (Four Hundred and Sixty) were suitable for analysis. Descriptive analytical tools were used for the analyses while the gross margin analysis was used to determine the returns of NTFP trade to households. The study revealed that 290 out of 460, representing 63.04% are engaged in exploitation and trading in NTFPs on full time basis. Almost 95% of the respondents reside in the study area and more than 78% of them had at least primary education. Of the different types of NTFPs in the study area, thatch/bamboo has the highest prevalence usage due to its high demand for building construction and sundry purposes. These products also have the highest average gross margin of N390, 000 per year to an average household in the study area. This is followed closely by fruits with N370, 000 per year of average gross margin to a household. This study has brought to light some facts on NTFP contribution to the enhancement of livelihoods in the study area. The results show that NTFP extraction which was hitherto a support to other livelihood activities is rapidly becoming a mainstream source of income in the area. If reproduction enhancement and conservation of use are not factored into the extraction of these products now, a situation could arise in the future where these resources could become less available.