A history of forest conservation in Katsina Emirate, Northern Nigeria, 1807 – 1960.
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Date
2018
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University of Dar es Salaam
Abstract
This thesis presents a historical analysis of forest conservation in Katsina Emirate of Northern Nigeria during the pre-colonial and colonial periods. The Katsina Emirate was known for its abundant forest lands and the people have been interacting with the forest resources since time immemorial. The study investigates how people using their indigenous knowledge conserved forests in the pre-Caliphate and Caliphate period, and shows how the establishment of the Caliphate, and later colonialism, changed the dynamics of forest conservation in the area. The thesis employs the political ecology approach in analyzing the dynamics of forest conservation. Using triangulation of data from official publications, archives and oral interviews, the study demonstrates how, prior to the nineteenth century, endogenous environmental perceptions in the form of reverence for totems and sacred areas as well as the functioning of socio-cultural institutions influenced forest resources conservation in Katsina Emirate. The coming of the nineteenth century Jihadists and establishment of the Sokoto Caliphate brought about direct government intervention in forest conservation. The Caliphate forest rules and regulations led to the creation of reserved lands and developed a conservation system that linked forest and farmland resources in time and space. Further changes occurred from 1903 when the British introduced modern forest conservation methods aimed at transforming the indigenous forest conservation and management systems. In the process reserves were created to conserve forests and ordinances were formulated that protected the in-farm trees from utilization by local communities. Although conceptually different, colonial conservation was operationally similar to what obtained during the Caliphate phase. More importantly, the implementation of the colonial policies effectively disrupted the pre-colonial forest conservation system by separating farm from forest resources, thus setting one of the colonial legacies which persist to date.
Description
Available in print form, East Africana Collection, Dr. Wilbert Chagula Library, Class mark (THS EAF DT449.Z27.A36)
Keywords
History, Forest conservation, Katsina, Northern Nigeria 1807-1960
Citation
Ado, A. S. (2018). A history of forest conservation in Katsina Emirate, Northern Nigeria, 1807 – 1960. Master dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam.