SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF RESIDENTS AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON FOREST CONSERVATION IN THE OPARA FOREST RESERVE BUFFER ZONE, OYO STATE, NIGERIA

This study examined the relationship between socio-economic characteristics of residents and forest conservation efforts in the Opara Forest Reserve Buffer Zone, Oyo State, Nigeria. The research aimed to understand how demographic and economic factors influenced conservation participation, management strategies and forest sustainability. A quantitative research approach was adopted, employing structured questionnaires and personal interviews to collect data from 105 randomly selected respondents across nine villages within the buffer zone. Descriptive statistical tools, including frequency distributions, percentages and mean scores, were used for data summarization, while Pearson’s product-moment correlation was applied to examine relationships between socio-economic characteristics of residents and conservation engagement. The findings revealed that the majority of respondents were male (64.76%), with an average age of 41.43 years and a mean household size of approximately six persons. Farming and hunting (68.57%) were the predominant occupations of the respondents and 63.81% had attained formal education. The mean scores for conservation-related variables indicated that respondents had a moderate level of forest conservation awareness (Grand Mean = 3.47), with frequent involvement in conservation activities (Mean = 3.62) and high willingness to support conservation efforts (Mean = 3.58). Pearson’s correlation analysis showed significant relationships between socio-economic factors of respondents and their conservation participation, with their age (-0.494, p<0.01), marital status (-0.324, p<0.01), household size (-0.210, p<0.05) and educational attainment (-0.237, p<0.05) indicating notable influences. Thus, this implied that younger individuals are more engaged in conservation efforts, while increased family responsibilities may reduced such engagement; additionally, individuals with higher education may seek alternative livelihoods beyond forest-based activities. The study highlights the need for targeted conservation policies that consider socio-economic characteristics of individuals to enhance community engagement in forest sustainability. Strengthening education, economic incentives and local participation in conservation management could improve forest preservation efforts in the Opara Forest Reserve Buffer Zone.