ASSESSMENT OF LIVELIHOOD STRATEGIES ADOPTED AMONG CAMELS HERDERS IN NORTH-WEST, NIGERIA

Camel herding is a vital livelihood activity for various pastoralist societies in Northern Nigeria. However, the livelihoods of camel herders are increasingly threated by climate change, insecurity and land use variations. This study measures the livelihood strategies adopted by camels’ herders in North-west, Nigeria. Multistage sampling procedure was utilized to select 265 camel herders as a sample size. Primary data were collected from camel herders by structured questionnaire in the study area. The results show that camels herders in the study area adopted different livelihood strategies (on-farm, non-farm and off-farm activities). The major livelihood strategies adopted by camel herders were crop production (85%), livestock production (80%) and community market (77%). It is recommended that the contribution of dromedary camel in rural livelihoods particularly to income, food security and cultural practices should be enlightened by the livestock research institutes.