Empirical Analyses of Determinants of Sawmilling Effectiveness among Sawmillers in Ijebu-North Local Government Area, Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined the determinants of sawmilling business activities among sawmillers in Ijebu- North Local Government Area, Ogun State, Nigeria. A multistage with four (4) stage design sampling techniques was adopted to select the respondents for this study. An unstructured questionnaire was used to elicit information from the respondents. Descriptive statistics, Likert scale rating, and Logit regression were used to analyse the data collected. Results showed that the respondents were male (51.9%) with a mean age of 51 years, 58.3% had Secondary education, and 50.9% were Muslim. Based on their role in sawmilling, the respondents were sawmiller (51.9%), contractor (27.8%), and (20.4%) were both contractor and sawmiller. The respondents most perceived that sawmilling provides significant income and employment opportunities for many residents (4.74±0.050). Also, the sawmilling industry is recognized as essential for providing a wide range of wood products (4.59±0.0590), and timber is viewed as a renewable and recyclable resource that stores carbon, which, when managed sustainably (4.56±0.058). Moreso, waste generated from sawmills is disposed of properly (4.04±0.105). A good percentage reported that injuries caused by operating machines (85.2%) and proper care and control of machines/equipment (87.0%) were the most prevalent in health hazards and safety measures, respectively. The logit model showed that gender and age had a significant influence on the likelihood of influencing the sawmilling process and effectiveness at p<0.10, positively and negatively, respectively.  It is recommended that the identified health hazards in the sawmilling business be addressed if the industry is to move forward. The government should put a policy on personal protective equipment so as to reduce the hazards that machines are causing to operators.