Assessment of Welfare Status of Bushmeat Traders in the Post-Ebola Era in Kwara State, Nigeria

Bushmeat enterprise is an activity with the potential to improve household livelihood. However, the Ebola virus disease outbreak in Nigeria in 2014 altered the business. This study assessed the welfare status of 134 bushmeat traders in three agro-ecological zones in Kwara State in Nigeria. This study used the descriptive design. The authors made use of the purposive sampling technique in the selection of respondents and the stratified random sampling in selecting the markets from the zones. The proportion of bushmeat sellers in each market determined the number of respondents selected per zone. Descriptive statistics, FGT (Foster, Greer, and Thorbecke) Index and a multiple regression model were the tools of analysis. The results revealed that majority of bushmeat sellers were female, constituting 59.7% of the population. The mean per capita expenditure of the household was ₦14,004, and breakdown of the consumption exenditure showed that food represents the highest share (28.53%). The FGT index showed that 35.8% of the sampled bushmeat traders were poor. Determinants of welfare status of traders were their total household size, years of experience, income from bushmeat sales, and income from other sources. This study suggests measures needed to improve the welfare status of bushmeat traders in the study area considering the effect Ebola outbreak had on their well-being.

 

Keyword: expenditure, household, income, livelihood, well-being