Local community perception and attitude towards the non-utilization of natural resources in old Oyo National Park, Oyo State, Nigeria
This study was conducted in Old Oyo National Park, Oyo State to assess the local community perception and reaction to the non-utilization of natural resources. Ninety-four questionnaires were administered to obtain information from the local community. Data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistic such as frequency, percentage, mean, etc. Also chi square analysis was used to determine the relationship between the respondent’s demographic characteristics and their awareness of the rules and regulations of the park. The result shows that majority of the respondents were male (70%) while 24% were female. In terms of the age group, majority of the respondents were between 26-35 (36.2%) and 36-45 (28.7%) age group. Over half of the respondents (57.4%) had secondary education and 75.5% were married. The predominant occupations of the respondents were farming (42.6%) and hunting (21.3%). Some of the respondents (41.5%) agreed that the rules and regulations of the park were strict. Majority of the respondents strongly disagreed to the non-utilization of natural resources in Old Oyo National Park. By restricting access to these park resources, the people feel denied and as such majority (54.3%) of the respondents are non-compliant to the rules and regulations of the park. For adequate protection of the park, there is need to allow the local people to utilize certain resources of the park such as water, grass for roofing and vegetable. This will encourage the local people to protect the natural resources.