Perception of Rural Dwellers on the Nutritional and Medicinal Values of Moringa oleifera in Ido Local Government of Oyo State

Abstract

The study investigated the perception of rural dwellers on nutritional and medicinal values of Moringa oleifera in Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria, with the specific objectives of assessing the demographic characteristics of rural dwellers. Also, to determine the level of awareness of nutritional and medicinal values of Moringa , identify the various ways in which respondents consume Moringa, assessing rural dwellers’ sources of information and identify the perceived nutritional and medicinal benefits of Moringa in the study area. A purposively sampling technique was used to collect information with the aid of structured questionnaire from 120 respondents. Data collected were analyzed using frequency counts and percentages. The study reveals that more than half of the respondents were mostly male (53.3%), married (60%), while majority of them had some form of formal education. Majority (40.8%) of the respondents preferred taken powdered leaves. The study showed that half (50.0%) and 42.5% of the respondents had access to information through friends/relatives and radio respectively on the utilization of Moringa. It was recommended that the government should try to minimize the constraints encountered by the rural dwellers in the consumption of Moringa by providing the basic amenities necessary for life in rural areas and rural dwellers should be motivated through credit facilities and series of training on cultivation and utilization of Moringa.