Smallholder Farmers’ Perceptions on Drivers of Land Degradation and its Impact on their Livelihoods in the Kuje Area Council of Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

Land degradation is a global problem that has adversely affected agriculture. The Guinea Savannah ecological zone is one of the regions experiencing large-scale land degradation in Nigeria. Because of the important role agriculture plays in the economy of Nigeria, this study therefore examines smallholder farmers’ perception of drivers of land degradation and its impact on their livelihoods in the Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; an area within the Guinea savannah ecological zone. A survey of smallholder farmers was conducted and the instrument used for data collection was a questionnaire. Most of the respondents perceived that overgrazing (96.7%), soil erosion (92.7%), bush burning (82.2%), continuous soil tillage (80.2%), sand mining (72.3%) and deforestation (63.2%) are responsible for land degradation in the area. The livelihoods of farmers are negatively impacted because land degradation has led to a reduction in land productivity; dependence on chemical fertilizers, which increases the cost of crop production; and loss of farm labour. To mitigate land degradation; controlled grazing, afforestation and controlled sand mining should be encouraged; in addition to the provision of cheap alternative cooking energy by the government to help reduce the rate of deforestation.