Abstract
Livelihood diversification has been recognized as an important strategy applied by vulnerable households to cope and adapt with institutional stresses, environmental and economic shocks. However, the complex interaction between cattle rustling, livelihood transition and well-being remains only partially explored. This study investigates the impact of cattle rustling on well-being as well as how cattle raiding is driving the livelihood transition. Using cross-sectional data of 1750 households analysed via multiple indicators and multiple causes (MIMIC), Logit and ordinary least squares regression, the results of this study elicit three key findings. First, cattle rustling has a significant negative effect on well-being. Second, there is a strong tendency for cattle raid affected households to transit out from farm labour, handicrafts and livestock production. However, affected households engaging in high return activities, such as trade and civil service, show a reduced likelihood of livelihood transition. Third, the constructed well-being index is low (0.33), indicating that households are actually transiting to low return sectors. However, participation in high return sectors requires resource investment capacities in terms of human, social and financial capital, which are substantially lacking in remote areas. In this sense, improving the level of literacy through both conventional and vocational education is key to achieving the rural welfare enhancement programmes.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
Data, codes and DO-files used in this article are available from the author upon request.
References
Aaker, A. D., & Bagozzi, R. P. (1979). Unobservable variables in structural equation models with an application in industrial selling. Journal of Marketing Research, 16(2), 147–158.
Alamgir, M. S., Furuya, J., Kobayashi, S., Mostafiz, R. B., & Ahmed, M. R. (2020). Farm income, inequality, and poverty among farm families of a flood-prone area in Bangladesh: Climate change vulnerability assessment. GeoJournal, 86(6), 2861–2865.
Aliero, H. M., Abubakar, M., & Ibrahim, S. S. (2010). An investigation into the determinant of access to finance of rural areas of Katsina State. Journal Management Studies, 3(1), 194–205.
Chernozhukov, V., & Hansen, C. (2013). Quantile regression models with endogeneity. Annual Review of Economics, 5(1), 57–81.
Ducrotoy, M. J., Revie, C. W., Shaw, A. P. M., Musa, U. B., Bertu, W. J., Amahyel, M. G., Ocholi, R. A., Majekodunmi, A. O., & Welburn, S. C. (2017). Wealth, household heterogeneity and livelihood diversification of Fulani pastoralists in the Kachia grazing reserve, Northern Nigeria, during a period of social transition. PLoS ONE, 12(3), 1–22.
Ellis, F. (2000). The determinants of rural livelihood diversification in developing countries. Journal of Agricultural Economics, 51(2), 289–302.
Gautam, Y., & Andersen, P. (2016). Rural livelihood diversification and household well-being: Insights from humla, Nepal. Journal of Rural Studies, 44(April), 239–249.
Ibrahim, S. S., & Ahmad, A. M. (2013). Equitable budgetary allocation: A catalyst for achieving national development of Nigeria. European Scientific Journal, 9(7), 264–274.
Ibrahim, S. S., Huseyin, O., Behiye, C., Shagali, A. A., & Shuaibu, M. (2020a). Migration drivers, income inequality and rural attachment in deprived remote areas prone to cattle rustling in Nigeria. Migration and Development. https://doi.org/10.1080/21632324.2020.1848710
Ibrahim, S. S., Huseyin, O., Behiye, C., Shagali, A. A., & Shuaibu, M. (2020b). Rural attachment and income inequality in rural communities of Nigeria under the threat of cattle raiding. GeoJournal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-020-10335-9
Ibrahim, S. S., Ozdeser, H., & Cavusoglu, B. (2019). Vulnerability to recurrent shocks and disparities in gendered livelihood diversification in remote areas of Nigeria. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 26(3), 2939–2949.
IPCC. (2014). Climate change 2014: Impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability, Part A: Global and sectoral aspects. contribution of working group ii to the fifth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge University Press.
Jiao, X., Pouliot, M., & Walelign, S. Z. (2017). Livelihood strategies and dynamics in rural Cambodia. World Development, 97(September), 266–278.
Kynoch, G., & Ulicki, T. (2012). It is like the time of Lifaqane: The impact of stock theft and violence in Southern Lesotho. Journal of Contemporary African Studies, 18(2), 179–206.
Majekodunmi, O. A., Charles, D., Tok, L., Alexandra, S. P. M., & Susan, W. (2017). Shifting livelihood strategies in Northern Nigeria—Extensified production and livelihood diversification among Fulani pastoralists. Pastoralism, 7(19), 1–13.
Sallu, S. M., Twyman, C., & Thomas, D. S. G. (2009). The multidimensional nature of biodiversity and social dynamics and implications for contemporary rural livelihoods in remote Kalahari settlements, Botswana. African Journal of Ecology, 47(s1), 110–118.
Scoones, I. (2009). Livelihoods perspectives and rural development. Journal of Peasant Studies, 36(1), 171–196.
Ulrich, A., Speranza, C. I., Roden, P., Kiteme, B., Wiesmann, U., & Nüsser, M. (2012). Small-scale farming in semi-arid areas: Livelihood dynamics between 1997 and 2010 in Laikipia, Kenya. Journal of Rural Studies, 28(3), 241–251.
Walelign, S. Z., & Jiao, X. (2017). Dynamics of rural livelihoods and environmental reliance: Empirical evidence from Nepal. Forest Policy and Economics, 83(October), 199–209.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the editor and reviewer for their review, thoughtful comments and constructive suggestions on my manuscript.
Funding
Data collection was supported by NRF 2020 of Tertiary Education Trust Fund.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The author declares no conflicts of interest.
Ethical approval
Author confirmed no ethical issues associated with the manuscript. The Ethical committee of Federal University Dutsin-Ma has approved the manuscript.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Appendix
Appendix
See Table 9.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ibrahim, S.S. Livelihood transition and economic well-being in remote areas under the threat of cattle rustling in Nigeria. GeoJournal 88, 1–16 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-022-10583-x
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-022-10583-x