Harnessing the Potentials of NTFPs for National Development in Nigeria

Development is a desirable change that brings improvement in the standard of living of majority of the people. Especially improvement in the nutritional status and health of the people, increase in their real income and per capita income as well as improvement in the educational achievement or access to education, fairer distribution of income and better livelihood options. However the potentials of NTFPs in contributing to national development in Nigeria have not been fully tapped. Therefore, this paper examined the potentials of NTFPs for national development. These potentials, namely, provision of food, provision of income, provision of communal peace and provision of medicinal materials. The study revealed some of the ways of harnessing the potentials of NTFPs in contributing to national development include revision of States forest policy, adoption of open door forest policy, Commercialization of NTFPs, improved extension service for NTFPs and promoting conservation of NTFPs. The States forestry Departments in the country should strive hard to create a unit for NTFPs that will coordinate and monitor the exploitation of NTFPs in their States and ensure their sustainable contribution to national development.