Does “tomorrow” matter? Rethinking intergenerational sustainability and traditional knowledge in nat...

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" Does “tomorrow” matter? Rethinking intergenerational sustainability and traditional knowledge in natural resource management in Nigeria "
Ganiu Adeyemi Oke

Document Type	:	Latin Dissertation
Language of Document	:	English
Record Number	:	53502
Doc. No	:	TL23456
Call number	:	‭NR32063‬
Main Entry	:	Ganiu Adeyemi Oke
Title & Author	:	Does “tomorrow” matter? Rethinking intergenerational sustainability and traditional knowledge in natural resource management in Nigeria\ Ganiu Adeyemi Oke
College	:	York University (Canada)
Date	:	2007
Degree	:	Ph.D.
student score	:	2007
Page No	:	386
Abstract	:	Researchers have attempted to unravel the mystery behind resource management challenges in Africa. However, relatively little attempts have so far been made to understand the indigenous philosophical underpinnings and traditional perceptions to natural resource governance in the region. Several Westernized approaches proffered as solutions to the problems have proved less successful in Africa, particularly at the local communities, as they run counter to the existing indigenous institutional structures. Often times, rather than help in solving particular resource management challenges, they end up generating more problems for the local people by overheating the already fragile polity in terms of socio-cultural conflicts, economic segregations, and political fragmentations. This research is an attempt to fill the gap in the literature. It identifies a number of indigenous practices of natural resource governance at the local communities for purposes of mainstreaming them into the legal regime of achieving intergenerational sustainability in resource governance. It focuses on the natural resource management regime of Nigeria and adopts the Yoruba communities of Southwestern Nigeria as its case study. It proposes a new theoretical framework for achieving socially equitable and environmentally sustainable resource governance in Nigeria. The suggested framework is based on the hybrid system being a resource governance strategy that harmonizes both indigenous and modern regimes of resource management into one regime for achieving sustainability in the interest of both present and future generations. In arguing the need for integrating traditional systems and indigenous institutions of resource governance, the thesis vividly illustrates traditional conceptions of sustainability as understood by the local communities in Nigeria as: "Suitable practice(s) within the acceptable traditional norms for carrying out nature-related activities in ways and manners that, without violating local customs and traditions, will ensure the provision of food and general survival of the family and their unborn children". The research concludes that attaining sustainable resource management in Nigeria is inextricably linked to the extent to which traditional-based indigenous systems of resource use are identified, harmonized and/or integrated into the modern patterns of resource governance in line with the proposed hybrid systems. This position is informed by the similarity of the traditional and modern conceptions of sustainability, which advocates effective resource management in the interest of both present and future generations. The research argues that the integration of both would solve the seemingly insurmountable challenges of natural resource management in Nigeria by exploring the existing socio-political structures of the country as a pluralized, multi-ethnic/cultural entity. The thesis asserts that this would make for achieving intergenerational sustainability in natural resource management for and in the interest of both present and future generations of Nigerians.
Subject	:	Social sciences; Intergenerational sustainability; Natural resource management; Nigeria; Sustainability; Traditional knowledge; Law; Public administration; Urban planning; Area planning development; 0999:Urban planning; 0398:Law; 0999:Area planning development; 0617:Public administration
Added Entry	:	York University (Canada)