Decline in flora diversity and poverty trap in a peri-urban settlement (Ijeun lukosi village)inAbeokuta,Ogun State,Nigeria

The study examined flora decline in a peri-urban settlement （Ijetm Lukosi village in Abeokuta, Nigeria） and the consequent poverty trap in the village. Respondents were selected by simple random sampling （SRS） with a total of 90 respondents selected, cutting across different age groups and occupations. Ijeun Lukosi village is a stone throw from a Government Secretariat with influx of government employees. The status of flora in the village revealed 34 species of trees and shrubs, 36 species of herbs and climbers and 12 species of aquatic plants. Thirty-two families of plants were identified showing the diversity of flora species in the settlement. An influx of people into the settlement changed the pattern of land tenure system from communal and family inheritance to personal ownership of land. This change in land ownership status promoted the destruction of the diversity of loacal flora under private prop- erty development. This impacted negatively on the livelihood of respondents. The poverty line was determined to be NAD 2,600 （$17.33） per month, a condition categorized by the World Bank as abject poverty. Over 51% of farming respondents were displaced, including 20% entrepreneurs （artisans） trading in trado-medical herbs derived from the diversity in the flora. The conclusion is drawn that abject poverty encouraged the destruction of flora diversity in the settlement with the poverty trap turning into a cycle and the perpetuation of poverty in the village. It is recommended that the government should put in place programs to alleviate poverty in this and similar areas to protect flora diversity and consequently protect the environment, thereby ensuring the sustenance of rural liveli- hood.

The role of forests and forest products in poverty reduction in sub-Saharan Africa in the 21st century

This study briefly examines the role of forest in poverty reduction in sub-Saharan Africa in the 21st century despite the effect of deforestation and degradation. This sub region is rated as the second region with the highest proportion of poor people globally, i.e., 325 million people. Income in the sub region has fallen below the World Bank poverty line of $1.25 per day for developing countries. In fact 45% of the population live on less than $1 per day, with two thirds of the population living in rural areas and small-holder farmers accounting for 80% of the poor. Although about 1.6 billion people live on $1–2 per day, signifying improvement in living standards, it is incomparable to income levels in developed countries. The region is therefore characterized by hunger and starvation, diseases, illnesses and under development. In the sub region, the Gini coefficient is 0.44, indicating a high incidence of poverty. Countries worst hit by absolute poverty in the sub region are Nigeria, Mali and the Central African Republic. Consequently, there is an urgent need to improve the welfare of the population of this sub region through available natural resources, such as forests, where modern technology also still lags far behind. It is therefore recommended that forest policy in the sub region be focused on forestry initiatives that will encourage access to forest resources and in turn increase the well-being of the poor through the natural bounty of the goods and services from the forest. Furthermore, forest food consumption must be encouraged among the rural poor through appropriate agroforestry practices, along with enhanced literacy, as well as education for processing and marketing of forest products in regional markets.