WETLANDS ATTRIBUTES AND INFLUENCES ON FOOD SECURITY OF HOUSEHOLDS AROUND OGUN RIVER OF NIGERIA

Abstract

The physical and ecological attributes of wetlands are important in their economic and biological usefulness. To this end, this research answers questions such as: what are the attributes of the wetland in the study area? Do the wetland attributes have influence on food security status of the households? The study was conducted in the wetlands of Ogun River and its tributaries located in the South-western Nigeria. Primary data were collected through the use of personally administered questionnaire and interview. Two stage sampling technique was used in selecting 633 households included in this study. Data were analyzed using descriptive techniques; United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) food security module and binary Logit model. The result revealed that wetlands of upper Ogun have abundance of all wetland attributes examined. Food security situation in households with children was not different from those without children. Majority of wetland residents’ households were not food secure leaving about a quarter as food secured. All the eight wetland attributes examined in this study had potential of increasing food security among wetland households as food security was constituently higher in wetlands with abundance of these attributes as against where they are limited. Socio-economic characteristics and wetland attributes have influence on food security status of households. The study therefore recommends that wetlands that are deep and free flowing with unobstructed water ways should be developed by government, international development agencies and non-governmental organizations so as to improve food security status in wetlands areas.