Level Of Community Participation In The Conservation Of Natural Resources In Akamkpa Local Government Area, Southern Cross River State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study on the level of community participation in the conservation of natural resources in Akamkpa Local Government Area of Southern Cross River State, Nigeria is aimed at establishing the extent of community participation in natural resources conservation in the study area. The Ex-post facto research design was adopted. To achieve the purpose of this study, two null hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The simple random sampling technique was adopted in selecting six communities while the multi-stage stratified random sampling technique and accidental sampling technique was used to select the two hundred and fifty (250) community members used for the study. A fifteen (15) items four points likert scale questionnaire was the instrument used for data collection. To test the hypotheses, Dependent t-test statistical analysis technique was used for data analysis. The results obtained from analysis of data revealed that, the level of participation significantly influences forest resources conservation. In the second hypothesis, the result also shows that community involvement has a significant influence on wildlife conservation. Based on these findings, it was recommended that awareness creation on environmental conservation should become integral part of community organizations.