This study involved the economic analysis of different wood species in major sawmills in Abeokuta, Ogun State Nigeria. Two stage design sampling techniques were employed for this study. Descriptive statistics and Cost and Returns were used in the data analysis. Result showed that 62.5% engaged in the business were males, 81.7% were in age group between 31-50years, 48.3% had no formal education, and 88.3% entered into the business through apprenticeship and are mostly full-time. The result also revealed that 95.83% of the saw millers or plank sellers obtain their timber from the private forest and they mostly buy per species i.e. per tree. Moreover, among the timber species that were common in the saw mills include, Albizia coriaria (ayinre) has the highest percentage frequency of 66.7%, Anogeissus leiocarpus (orin dudu) has 44.2%, Cleistopholis sp. (okedo) 32.5% and Musanga cecropioides (aga) 1.7% with the least percentage frequency. Average girth sizes of timber species in sawmill, ranged from 3.00cm- 5.60cm and the average number of plank ranged from 6-29. The business could be seen as profitable, as the cost analysis revealed the average profit for each sawmill per month in Abeokuta North, Odeda and Abeokuta South Local Governments’ Areas to have these profits (₦982,893.75, ₦790,083.524 and ₦790,083.524) respectively. It was recommended that government policy should be reviewed against illegal felling and over-exploitation of timber by imposing/enacting stiffer penalty or law to illegal feller. Government policy should also encourage individual plantation establishment to ensure continuity of forest products for posterity.
The study analyzed the poverty status of women producing Kokoro (Corn snack) and women producing arable crops in Ogun State, Nigeria. A total of 208 respondents made up of 106 women producing Kokoro (Corn snack) and 102 women producing arable crops to serve as control group were selected. The respondents were selected based on non- probability method. Purposive sampling technique with Snowball method was used. Data were obtained by structured interview schedule. Data collected were analysed using FGT poverty index, costs and return and t-test statistics. The results indicated that 34.9kg of maize were processed into 128 dozens of Kokoro (Corn snack) per production run over an average of five (5) days, with six (6) production runs per month for nine months for the period of the research. The mean Kokoro (Corn snack) production cost was N42, 769.41/ respondent/ month with average revenue of N92, 253.60/ respondent/ month and net income of N49, 484.19/ respondent/ month. Income from Kokoro (Corn snack) production accounted for 53.4% of the total household income of N721,323.67 of an average woman engaged in Kokoro (Corn snack) production while farm income accounted for 67.9% of the total household income of N418, 935.10 of an average woman producing arable crops. The study also revealed that households of Kokoro (Corn snack) producers had mean per capita household income of N282.32 per person per day which was significantly higher (p<0.01) than those of women producing arable crops, N191.29 per person per day. Thus Kokoro (Corn snack) production has the potentials to enhance income and reduce poverty among households of rural women. The study thus recommends promotion of value- adding activities, such as maize processing into Kokoro as a means of enhancing income and reduces poverty among the rural folks.
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