SOCIO-ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF DEFORESTATION IN GWAGWALADA AREA COUNCIL, FCT, ABUJA.

The study evaluated the socioeconomic effects of deforestation in Gwagwalada Area Council, FCT, Abuja. It has also identified the factors responsible for deforestation. The study further examined the nature and extent of deforestation in the study area. Both probability and non-probability sampling techniques were used for the study. The selected villages of Dobi, Gwako, Kutunku, Ibwa-Sarki and Paiko village were purposively selected due to the fact that most of the activities related to deforestation such as farming, lumbering, rearing of animals (grazing), settlement construction,.fyel wood trade and so on are being practiced there. Simple | random sampling technique was used to select 50 respondents from each of the five selected villages in the study area. Primary and secondary data generated were analyzed using descriptive statistic. The major finding of the study shows that fuel wood was the highest cause of deforestation in Gwagwalada followed by agricultural activities and bushfire respectively. The study also revealed that deforestation has resulted in the loss of income/employment, loss of biodiversity, migration, reduction in tree density, declined in crop yield, cultural heritage and tourism as well as poverty. Based on the findings, the study recommends policies that will drastically reduce indiscriminate deforestation activities and encourage afforestation, reforestation, tree husbandry and tree planting in the study area; this will help to checkmate the j recent frequent conversion of forestland to arable cropping and other uses in Gwagwalada Area Council. The study further recommends that forest extension sendees to the rural households that engage in forestry activities should be strengthened through frequent training. This will help them have adequate and recent information about government policies on the environment and communicate the same to the rural stakeholders. Also, there is need for constant use of both electronic and print media in strengthening anti-deforestation awareness and in communicating recent forestry policies of the government to all the stakeholders in the study area.