The Challenges and Management Strategies of Non-Timber Forest Products for Sustainability in Nguti Sub Division, South West Region, Cameroon

Abstract

Nguti is one of the three Sub-divisions in Kupe Muanenguba Division of the South West Region of Cameroon. This Sub-division is endowed with great potentials and diversity in Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) resulting from the eco-floristic composition within the sub-division. The objective of this study is to investigate the challenges that are plaguing the exploitation of NTFPs and present management options for sustainability. Secondary data were collected from published and unpublished sources whereas primary data tools included questionnaires, interviews and participant observations. Findings showed that Nguti Sub-division has endowed with enormous forest entities and rich in several NTFPs ranging from nuts, seeds, barks, leaves, trees and roots as well as several species of bush meat. Five major challenges viz. transformation and storage, government policies and customary regulations, depletion and scarcity of resources, deforestation and poaching as well as population pressure and agricultural activities were observe which attributed in reducing quantity and quality of these resources. For sustainable harvesting and management of these resources, cottage industry must be developed and promoted along with cultivation or domestication of these NTFPs, market chain should be monitored and certain government policies should be framed to regularize harvest and methods of extraction. Controlling of deforestation, poaching, agricultural activities and generating new alternative sources of income will certainly reduce the pressure meted on the available resources in the forest.