Utilization of Forest Products in Nigeria

Abstract

The paper focused on forest resources and their utilization in Nigeria, Forestry is the systematic management and use of forests and their natural resources for human benefit. Nigeria is faced with food crisis partly due to the ever increasing human population and declining per capita food production. Forest resources is estimated to be about 9.7% of the total land area of Nigeria. These resources are of great benefit to the rural households because they contribute tremendously to their income and overall, well being especially the non-timber forest products. There resources include some of the major economic trees such as Triplochition scleroxylon, Cedrela odorata, Chilorophora excelsa. They are used as sawn wood and plywood for building construction, furniture and panelling. They are high valued species that are fast diminishing in availability because of forest destruction and unsuccessful artificial regeneration. Other resources are those utilized by wood based industries and finally wildlife resources. They serve as a source of bush meat and sometime serve medicinal purposes. It is recommended that the federal government should diversify the economy by concentrating on those forest resources as a veritable means of generating revenue internally. Furthermore, attempt should be made to combat deforestation by creating awareness about the importance of these resources keywords: forest resource, forest product, wildlife management, wood based industries.