An Application of Sustainable Livelihood Approach to Fishing Households in Jigawa State, Nigeria

Livelihood studies have demonstrated the reliance of communities on available capital bases for their survival. The concept of livelihood extends beyond mere economic transactions to include other equally important dimensions that impact people’s ability to sustain themselves and thrive. For fishing communities, their livelihoods are deeply connected to their natural resource endowments. With a focus on rural Nigeria as a case study, an assessment of livelihood status of fishing households is presented. The study collected cross-sectional data from 134 households using questionnaire for the 2023 fishing season. To assess their livelihood status, an index was developed on the basis of five components namely financial, human, physical, natural and social. Results of the analysis showed an average livelihood status index value of 0.53 and that the respondents were concentrated (67.16%) in the medium livelihood category. A breakdown showed that natural (0.77) and social (0.67) capitals were the two most endowed capital with physical capital (0.30) being the least. Furthermore, a Tobit regression analysis showed that membership to an association, level of educational attainment and household size significantly influenced livelihood status of the studied households. The study revealed an unbalanced livelihood situation in the study area and has suggested policies for strengthening the development of fishing household livelihood capitals through improvement in human assets by introducing evening classes for school and free education so as to encourage turnout and educate the fishermen on sustainable fishing practices that can improve their incomes and elevate their financial capital