Effect of Non-Timber Forest Products on Rural Women Income in Nigeria : Income in Ife South Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria

This study was carried out to examine the effects of Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) on rural women income in Ife South Local Government area of Osun State, Nigeria. A sample of 90 respondents were randomly selected from five (5) of the eleven (11) wards. Data were collected and analyzed using frequency counts, percentage and econometric model. The mean age of the respondents is 40.76 years, majority (70%) of them were married, and the mean value of the years of the experience is 15.46 years. The distribution according to the data collected is tri-modal. Equal number of people collect seasonal fruits, leaves and snails with 16.7% each of the total population. The mean value of the income from other occupation is N 1955.14, while the mean value of the income from NTFPS activities is N 3352.22. The major effect (58.9%) deforestation has on NTFPS activities in the non-availability of the NTFPS. The study discovered that there is a positive and significant relationship between the years of education, total cost and income earned from NTFPs activities, and a significant but negative association with distance from forest to point of sale with income from NTFPs.