Potentials Of Sawmill Wood Wastes Utilization As Household Energy Source In Benin City

Abstract

Utilization of sawmill wood wastes as household energy source in Benin City was investigated. A multi-stage random sampling technique was used to select 10 wards within the study area. Thirty households were then selected in each ward thus making a total of 300 respondents. The result   showed that 67.2 and 14.5% of the respondents use sawmill wood wastes for cooking and for processing of farm produce respectively. It was observed in the study that 38% of the respondents household spend an average of ₦250:00 on sawmill wood wastes utilization weekly while 9.7% of them spend above ₦400.00 within the same period. Chi-square test analysis showed that household size and income level of respondents have significant impact on the quantity and amount of sawmill wood wastes utilized (p < 0.05).The marital status and sex of the respondents also have significant impact on the utilization of sawmill wood wastes (p < 0.05). Government should therefore encourage sawmill operators on the use of improved sawing techniques in order to minimise waste, thereby reducing over exploitation of the nation timber resources.