Marketing of non-timber forest products in Nigeria: a case of Akure metropolis

Trading of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) at local level in Nigeria is mostly undocumented, leading to a lacuna of knowledge about their potentials. To address this knowledge gap, 125 NTFP traders were randomly sampled from five markets in Akure metropolis, Nigeria, to evaluate the potential and challenges of marketing NTFPs to improve their value chains and socioeconomic contributions. Semistructured questionnaires and field observations were used to obtain data, which were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The findings revealed that the common NTFPs traded in Akure metropolis were wild mango seeds, locust beans, bitter kola, and wrapping leaves, with very high to moderately high demand levels. A larger proportion (60–80%) of the NTFPs were readily accessible in most of the markets surveyed. Only about 14% of the products were available for sale during the dry season, whereas a higher proportion (62%) of the NTFPs were accessible during the rainy season. The remaining products were available throughout both seasons. Most traders derived over 65% of their monthly incomes from the sale of NTFPs, while approximately 18% obtained between 33 and 49% of their incomes from the products. Some of the primary marketing challenges reported in the metropolis included poor transportation, price fluctuation, product seasonality and scarcity, distance to the forests, poor storage facilities, and lack of capital. The marketing of NTFPs has improved traders’ livelihoods through income generation and food provision. There is considerable women participation in marketing of these NTFPs derived from Akure metropolis. Nevertheless, there is a need to provide adequate marketing facilities, including marketing information, and better storage and processing technologies, to enhance sales and meet the high demand for these products while exploiting them sustainably. Further recommendations are provided to ameliorate other critical problems faced in NTFP marketing.