Women Participation in Forest Management Practices for Sustainable Livelihood in Abeokuta Local Government Ogun State

The study is to assess the level of participation of women in agroforestry practices in the study area as well as ascertain the benefits they derive from the activities. The study was carried out in Abeokuta South local government area of Ogun state. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 100 women farmers for the study using interview schedule to collect data from them. Frequencies and percentages were used to describe the data while PPMC was used to draw inferences from the data of the study. Most (58%) of the respondents are married and 41-50 years was the modal (37%) age group. Majority (67%) of them had between 7-12 years of formal education while 62% of them are involved in farming as their primary occupation. Majority (84%) of the respondents are involved in the practice of shifting cultivation, 76% are involved in home gardening and 49% practice alley cropping while 45% of them practiced shelterbelt and 34 and 30% were involved in Taungya and Apiculture, respectively. Positive and significant relationship exist between participation and crop yield increase (r = 0.315), environmental conservation (r = 0.215), weed control (r = 0.219), medicinal materials (r = 0.406), source of building materials (r = 0.334), economic empowerment (r = 0.195), source of food (r = 0.225) and improved level of living (r = 0.325). Given the fact that they derive substantial benefit from the practices and the problems encountered are not considered debilitating, the avenue of agroforestry practices could be effectively exploited to enhance sustainable livelihood among rural women.