Firewood Harvesting Practices and their Implications for Forest Sustainability and Rural Livelihoods in Owo Local Government Area, Ondo State

Across sub-Saharan Africa, rural households depend heavily on fuelwood, but in Nigeria, this reliance is intensified by rising oil prices, erratic electricity, rapid population growth, and inadequate rural energy infrastructure, collectively straining already vulnerable forests. This study examined fuelwood dynamics in Owo Local Government Area, Ondo State, using a structured survey of one hundred and twenty households to explore demographics, collection methods, livelihood roles, sustainability perceptions, and governance preferences. The results show a young, female-dominated workforce—60% were women and 76.7% were under twenty. Domestic cooking accounted for 63.3% of collection, with farmlands providing two-thirds of the wood. Although deadwood gathering (40%) and branch pruning (30%) were prevalent, 26.7% harvested live trees. Critically, 86.7% gathered without formal permission, and 60% viewed local regulations as absent or unenforced. While 76.7% recognized that excessive cutting degrades forests, only 30% practiced replanting. Scarcity is growing: 46.7% travel farther than five years ago, and 36.7% note declining availability. High costs (56.7%) and poor accessibility (40%) of alternatives hinder a shift away from firewood. Conclusively, fuelwood remains indispensable for rural livelihoods. Enhancing forest sustainability therefore demands stronger institutional governance and proactive community action to collectively regulate harvesting behaviours.