Benue State University, Makurdi

EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE POVERTY- FUELWOOD CONSUMPTION NEXUS IN MAKURDI METROPOLIS

AKIGHIR, D.T. and NOMOR, D.T.

Abstract

The paper empirically investigated the poverty-firewood consumption nexus in Makurdi Metropolis. Simple random sampling technique was used to select 200 respondents in the Metropolis. Data were collected using questionnaire, while descriptive tools such as tables, percentages and charts as well as binary choice probit model were used to analyse the data. From the probit models, it was confirmed that the behaviour of the respondents is consistent with the Energy Ladder model‟s postulations; and as such, firewood was considered an inferior good whose demand is likely to fall given a rise in income. it was also confirmed that there exist substitution effect between the demand for firewood and other cooking energy types. Again, a negative own-price effect in the demand for firewood was found in the study area. Finally, the study has revealed the existence of poverty- environment hypothesis in the study area ; on this basis, it was concluded that poverty leads to high firewood consumption in the study area. Thus, it was recommended that the government should make concerted efforts to reduce the scourge of poverty so as to reduce the of high level of firewood consumption, hence reduction in its attendant consequences of environmental degradation in terms of pollution and deforestation.

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