Evaluation of Wood Processing in the Sawmilling Industry in Ekiti State, Nigeria

Sustainable managementof local forest industries, such as sawmills, will enhance capacity building through job creation, job retention,and effective and efficient production of major wood products. A survey on wood processing in the sawmilling industry was carried out in Ekiti State. Purposive sampling technique was employed for the selection of the study site in both the Rainforest and Savannah zones. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire administered to fifty (50) randomly selected sawmillers in the study area. The result obtained revealed that the majority of the sawmillers are male (72.0%), 82.0% of the respondents were within the age bracket of 31-50 years, and 48.0% had a household size of 5-6 individuals. The larger proportion (44.0%) of the respondents are Yoruba, while (36.0%) had a working experience of over 21 years. The major source of wood converted in the sawmills is the wild, which is 16km ormore from the sawmills. Consequently, it was recommended that sawmillers should be encouraged to adopt sustainable forest management practices, such as reforestation and selective logging, to ensure a steady supply of wood and reduce environmental impact.They should also be encouraged to invest in modern technology and equipment to improve productivity and efficiency.