An investigation into the socio-demographic determinants of charcoal production in Oyo State and the need for its discontinuation

Charcoal is used all over the world. Although its contribution to household income has made it popular in most rural areas, its production aggravates forest cover depletion and degradation. In Oyo State, Nigeria, Charcoal production has continued despite government efforts to reduce or eradicate charcoal production in the state. This study therefore attempted to assess the reasons for this and what should be done to ameliorate it. Those who engage in full-time and part-time charcoal production were investigated. Data were obtained from 350 respondents with the aid of a well-structured questionnaire using a multistage sampling technique, and 304 copies of the questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a Logit regression model. The results revealed that the mean age of charcoal producers was 48.86 ±0.06 years and that they were predominantly (97.7%) males. A large proportion of the respondents (76%) had obtained either a West African School Certificate or a Senior Secondary Certificate, while the mean experience in charcoal production was 15.33 ±0.30 years and most (63.8%) of the individuals involved in the industry were migrants. The majority (71.7%) of them lived in mud houses and had little or no access to basic amenities such as good roads, electricity or pipe-borne water. The logit results indicate that age and owning a private plantation encourage continuous charcoal production (at the 5% significance level) on a full-time basis, thereby encouraging constant production. However, being an indigene of the state, having other income sources and educational attainment at tertiary level reduced the probability of being a full-time charcoal producer, hence reducing charcoal production. To stem continuing forest resource depletion through charcoal production, it is imperative that factors such as the provision of basic amenities, the promotion of alternative sources of income, and access to tertiary education coupled with the availability of short-term loans with a grace period for loan repayment as well as participation in tree planting by charcoal producers be prioritized by policy makers and other stakeholders in the industry.