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412 Awareness and Usage of the Baobab in Rural Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies and Management Vol. 6 No.4 2013 AWARENESS AND USAGE OF THE BAOBAB IN RURAL COMMUNITIES IN KWARA STATE, NIGERIA *OMOTESHO, K.F., 1 SOLA-OJO, F.E., 2 ADENUGA, A.H. 3 and GARBA, S.O.2 http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ejesm.v6i4.10 Received 8th April 2013; accepted 24th June 2013 Abstract The study investigated awareness and usage of the Baobab plant in rural communities in Kwara State, Nigeria. It examined the determinants of the plant’s usage as well as constraints to its usage in the State. A three stage random sampling procedure produced the 200 respondents from which primary data used for the study was collected using a well structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics including frequency counts, percentages and means was employed in presenting the findings of the study. The logit regression model was used in the determination of the factors of usage among the respondents. The study revealed that the level of awareness of the uses and benefits of the plant as well as its usage in the state is poor. Level of awareness at p<0.05 and income at p< 0.1 were found to be the determinants of usage of the baobab in the State. The strong negative socio-cultural belief held about the plant, poor level of awareness about its benefits and the poor knowledge of its processing were the major constraints against its use in the State. The study recommends the need to increase awareness of the benefits of the plant and also to provide information on the processing methods applicable to the baobab. The various agricultural extension agencies in the State in collaboration with agricultural research institution in the State can go a long way in ensuring that the potentials of the baobab plant is optimized among rural communities in the State. Keywords: Baobab (Adansonia digitata L.), Awareness, Usage, Logit Regression Model, Kwara State. Introduction on the level of awareness of the immense The reliance of millions of the world’s rural potentials of this free gift of nature and its usage poor on forest products, particularly edible wild among the rural poor of the state. It is against plants for their sustenance has been established this background that the study investigated the (Smith et al ., 1996; Assogbadjo et al ., 2008). following; This is evidenced by the fact that such plants the level of awareness about the Baobab plant; which may be trees, palms or shrub species have their usage of the Baobab plant; been known to provide shade, aesthetic sight, determinants of usage of the Baobab plant edible fruits, seeds, leaves, resins, tannins, gums, among the rural poor in Kwara State and oils and pharmaceutical products (Muok et al ., the constraints to the usage of Baobab in the 2001). Arid and semi –arid Africa is particularly State. blessed with several undomesticated plant Literature Review species of which the baobab tree (Adansonia Scientific evidence abounds as to the digitata) popularly referred to as the horseradish nutritive and medicinal value of various parts of tree, the upside-down tree, and the tree of life is the Baobab tree. For instance, the Baobab fruit adjudged the most useful of them all (Phyto pulp contains ten times the Vitamin C of Trade Africa 2012). Though originally located in oranges, calcium, tartaric, malic and succinic Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique acids, water soluble pectins, and a whole range and South Africa, it is now found throughout of minerals and essential micro elements rarely Africa so much so that it is fast becoming an found in regular foods (Nour et al ., 1980; icon, symbolic of the African continent (FAO Manfredini et al ., 2002; Bosch et al ., 2004). Its 1988; Keith and palgrave, 2000; Gebauer et al ., leaves have a protein content of 4%, and are rich 2002). in calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, The Baobab, popularly called igi ose among molybdenum, zinc, phosphorus and vitamins A the dominant Yoruba speaking populace of and C (Yazzle et al.1994; Diop et al ., 2005). The Kwara State is widely distributed and is found in traditional use of various parts of the Baobab all parts of the state. In spite of the prevalence of plant in the prevention and cure of ailments such the plant in the state, there is dearth of literature as measles, small pox, dysentery, diarrhea, and 1Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria 2Department of Animal Production, University of Ilorin, Nigeria 412 3Department of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management University of Ilorin, Nigeria *C0rresponding author: [email protected] Awareness and Usage of the Baobab in Rural Communities of Kwara ................ OMOTESHO et al. in the management of the sickle cell anemia has LGAs in the State. This was followed by a been reported (Ramadan et al ., 1993; Tal-Dia et random selection of five rural communities form al ., 1997). Cool and hot drinks have been each LGA following the list of communities prepared from the fruit pulp of the Baobab; the obtained from the LGA offices. Ten respondents fruit pulp is also locally processed into sweets. were randomly selected from each of the The leaves are a staple food source in some parts communities giving a total of 200 respondents. of the African continent while the flowers are However, only 198 of the 200 responses were consumed raw (Obizoba and Anyika, 1994; found analyzable for the purpose of the study. Nordeide et al ., 1996; Delisle et al ., 1997). In Data for the study was obtained using a well some parts of Sudan, the Baobab seeds are structured questionnaire. A combination of open pounded and included in local dishes (Dirar and closed ended questions was used to elicit 1993). The plant is popularly used as boundary information covering the respondents’ socio- markers to demarcate plots (Rocheleau et al ., economic characteristics, their levels of 1988), the bark produces strong fibre used in the awareness and usage of the Baobab, and making of mats, bags, ropes etc (Igboeli et al ., constraints to their usage of the plant. 1997). The leaves, pods and seeds are eaten with Analytical Technique relish by cattle in the savanna areas (Venter and Descriptive as well as inferential statistical Venter 1996). The highlighted uses of the plant tools were employed in the analysis and across the globe and its contribution to rural presentation of the findings of the study. The incomes in some parts of Africa has created a socio-economic characteristics of the case for its domestication and promoted the call respondents, their levels of awareness and usage for further research to ensure that its potentials of the Baobab plant as well as their perceived are optimized. constraints to usage of Baobab was analyzed Study Area using descriptive tools such as frequency counts, The study Area is Kwara State Nigeria. percentages and means. Kwara State is located within the North Central Two models frequently used in studies relating zone of Nigeria, it lies between latitudes 7 o45'N to determinants of usage are the logit and probit and 9 o30'N and longitudes 2 o30'E and 6 o25'E. models. Usually a choice has to be made With 16 Local Government Areas, four main between logit and probit, but, as Amemiya ethnic groups namely, Yoruba, Nupe, Fulani and (1981) has observed, the statistical similarities Baruba characterize the state. The average daily between the logit and probit models make such a temperature ranges between 21 oC to 33 oC. The choice difficult. Choice of model may be state has two distinct seasons (the wet and dry evaluated a posteriori on statistical grounds seasons) and annual rainfall which ranges although, in practice, there will usually not be between 1,000 and1, 500mm. Kwara state has a strong reasons to choose one model over the total land area of 32,500 square kilometers, with other. The logit model was selected for this study a population of about 2.59 million people and because it is computationally easier. In the Logit population density of 42.5/ square model the dependent variable is dichotomous in kilometer.(Wikipedia, 2012). The state has an nature, taking the value 1 or 0. A household is estimated figure of 203,833 farm families’ assigned the value of 1 if they make use of the majority of which live in the rural areas baobab seed and 0 if otherwise. A user is defined (KWADP, 1996). The state is primarily agrarian as those households that had at least made use of with great expanse of arable land and rich fertile the baobab seed either as animal feed, cosmetics, soils. The major crops cultivated in the state food or extracted the oil for cooking. Following include yam, cassava, rice, maize, sorghum, Gujarati (1988), the logit model is specified as: cowpeas, groundnut, melon, okra, pepper and some leafy vegetables (Wikipedia, 2012). Ln (Pi/(1-Pi)) = Xtb +e I Methodology Where Xt is the index reflecting the combined Sampling Technique and Sample Size effect of independent X variables that prevent or A three stage random sampling procedure promote usage of the baobab seed. The index was employed in selecting the respondents for level can be specified as: the study. The first stage involved a random selection of four Local Government Areas (Ilorin Xt= β0+ β1X1 +....+ β6X6 + e I East, Asa. Moro and Patigi) out of the sixteen 413 Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies and Management Vol. 6 No.4 2013 Where: the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version X1= Educational level of the household head (in 16.0 years) X2= Household size (in no) Results and Discussion X3= Age of the household head (in years) Socio-economic Characteristics of Respondents X4= Household annual income (in naira) The socio-economic characteristics of X5= Awareness about baobab seed (dummy; respondents are as presented in Table and it Aware = 1; Not aware = 0) reveal that the respondents were predominantly X6 = Gender of Household Head (dummy; male (64%) with a mean age of about 43 years.
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