Indigenous Information as Tool for Consolidating and Promoting Natural Resources Conservation in Igbo-Speaking Communities of Southeast Nigeria

Abstract

Prior to modernization, indigenous peoples had strong

mechanisms for communicating, regulating and managing

natural resources endowments for their survival and

development. Modern knowledge and information

management systems have not sufficiently improved

conservation and natural resource development especially

among rural folks. This study was conducted in Igbospeaking

rural communities of Obowo LGA of Imo State in

SE Nigeria to elicit information on conventional and

indigenous information dissemination and exchange

methods on natural resource conservation with the view to

identifying the impacts of indigenous information methods

on resource conservation. Data obtained from in-depth

Interview (IDIs) sessions with key stakeholders within the

locality revealed the availability of medicinal plants, arable

lands and rivers/streams occurring in relatively high

abundance as attested to by 71.0%, 56.0% and 48.0% of the

respondents, respectively. Also, rural people access

information about natural resources and environment

through a variety of media/platforms (both formal and

indigenous). Fractional ranking showed that the top five (5)

UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN LIBRARY

154 Onyema, Azeez, Edet & Osuagwu AJSD Vol. 6 Num. 2, 2016

indigenous information media were oral tradition (1.5), local

authority leadership structure (1.5), village assembly (2),

story-telling (4) and individual enquiry (5.5). Local authority

structure among other indigenous information media

manifested the highest positive influence (31.3%) on

conservation/consolidation of identified resource.

Specifically, local authority was the source of information

rivers/streams (63.2%) and arable lands (56.0%)

conservation. It is therefore imperative for governments and

international agencies to see information media mix

especially through recognizable local institutional channels

(local authorities) as veritable instruments for sustaining and

promoting sustainable development especially of natural

resources at different community, national and global levels.