Socio-demographic Profile, Livelihood Structure, and Anthropogenic Activity Patterns of Riparian Communities along the River Benue Basin, Adamawa State, Nigeria

Freshwater ecosystems in sub-Saharan Africa face escalating anthropogenic pressures from population growth, agricultural intensification, and unregulated artisanal activities, yet community-level baseline data remain scarce for most Nigerian river basins. This study characterises the socio-demographic profile, livelihood structure, and anthropogenic activity patterns of riparian communities along the River Benue Basin, Adamawa State, Nigeria, and examines the relationship between educational attainment and persistent environmental degradation. A stratified random sampling design was used to administer structured questionnaires to 1,093 respondents across three locations — Boronji (Yola North LGA), Dasin Hausa (Fufore LGA), and Njoboliyo (Yola South LGA) — during the dry (February–April 2025) and rainy (June–August 2025) seasons, from 1,200 administered (91.1% response rate). Data were analysed descriptively using SPSS v25.0. Male respondents predominated across all sites (58.50–67.57%), with the 31–45-year cohort modal (34.05–35.16%). Secondary and tertiary education combined accounted for 67.97–71.42% of respondents, exceeding rural north-eastern Nigerian averages. Farming was the dominant occupation (33.70–36.22%), followed by trading (22.16–23.96%), artisanal work (16.21–17.27%), and civil service (14.05–16.21%). Over half of respondents (49.73–51.92%) had resided locally for more than 20 years. Five principal anthropogenic activities were identified: domestic waste disposal into the river, fertiliser/pesticide use, artisanal sand mining, fishing, and construction. Despite high educational attainment, degradation persists, reflecting a knowledge–action gap driven by regulatory weakness and lack of viable livelihood alternatives. These findings establish the first integrated community-level baseline dataset for this reach of the River Benue, providing an evidence base for community-responsive environmental management.