Resource Utilization and Livelihood Assets Ownership by Nomadic Pastoralists in Nasarawa State, Nigeria

The study analyzed resource utilization and livelihood assets of nomadic pastoralists in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. A survey design method was adopted for the study. A reconnaissance survey was conducted in the Area to identify the major water points where pastoralists are found. In each Local District, one water point was randomly selected. Estimate from the reconnaissance survey revealed the average number of nomadic pastoralists, out of which 30% were selected for the study. The primary data were collected with the aid of structured questionnaire. Descriptive Statistics was used to achieve research objectives. The study revealed that the mean number of cattle, sheep and goats owned by the respondents were 168.60, 57.86 and 31.28, respectively, while all the respondents used natural pasture as feeds. Land tenure was the highest ranked constraint to majority (64.4%) of the nomadic pastoralists in the study area. Based on the findings, the study recommended that rangeland should be made available by government and accessible to nomadic pastoralists and a broader research should be conducted on resource utilization and livelihood assets of nomadic pastoralists in Nasarawa State.

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