ASSESSMENT OF DOMESTIC ENERGY USE BY SOME HOUSEHOLDS IN JOS NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

ABSTRACT Assessment of the major energy use for domestic purpose by some households in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State, North Central Nigeria was conducted in order to know the best energy option. Two thousand (2000) questionnaires were administered in four study sites which includes Bauchi Road, Nasarawa Gwom, Congo Russia and Rikkos with each site having 100 questionnaires per year for a period of five years (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009). Percentages and ranges were used in analyzing the data. The result shows that, (531:26.6%) of respondents from the four (4) study sites used fuel-wood majorly, followed by charcoal (453:22.7%), kerosene (285:14.3%) and the least was gas (127:6.4%). However, the result from the possible combinations of the four energy sources indicated that majority of the respondents use fuel-wood and charcoal (209: 10.5%), followed by kerosene and charcoal (171:8.6%). However, fuel- wood and gas is the least (59:3%) followed by gas and charcoal (96: 19.2%). On the use of each of this fuel, respondents from Rikkos were highest (198:40%) in fuel-wood use, followed by Congo Russia (139:28%). However, Bauchi Road has the smallest number of respondents (83:17%) followed by Nasarawa Gwom with (111:22.2%). This indicates that the closer people are to their natural environment, the more dependable they are on the environment. In order to know the most desired tree species for fuel-wood and for conversion into charcoal; samples of charcoal were collected from market for identification. The result shows that common tree species for commercial and home fuel-wood were obtained from plant species including Prosopis africana, Eucalyptus calmandulensis, Acacia sp, Gmelina aborea, Pilostigma recticulatum, Tectonia grandis, etc.