Since the reservation era in Nigeria, data collection for NWFP has been undesirably compressed and less instructive. This has been because NWFP have been treated as minor forest products and they are not subjects of GDP calculations hence they were treated with levity. Apart from wildlife management for which six National parks were established in 1991,the NWFP has not received adequate attention and consequently the resource has not generated much statistical data.
The main constraints in statistical data collection are as follows:
1. Lack of enthnobiological survey on NWFP - The focus of national surveys in forestry (in 1975 and 1995) on merchantable timber resources and changes in the natural vegetation. As of today, there are no adequate data on the forest resources in terms of types, habitats, uses and population of forest resources.
2. Inadequate research on NWFP - Research into the habitats availability and in situ conservation of NWFP is not adequate. However, attempts have been focused on species of plants and wild animals including Parkia biglobosa, Irvingia gabonensis and Vitelaria paradoxica. Data cannot be effectively generated without research into the biology, ecology and utilization of NWFP.
3. Level of forest management - The management of forests has been at a low ebb since the decades of 1980s due to poor funding and overexploitation of the forests by government and rural communities. The scientific instruments used in the management of the forests have broken down the work plans pre-logging assessments and protection patrols are no longer in vogue. The management of forests is practically based on the rule of the thumb. Therefore no adequate records are kept on resource exploitation, yet management attention is focused mainly on timber harvest.
4. High rate of poaching - A major set-back in data collection is high rate of poaching. Factors such as land tenure, inadequate benefit sharing from protected forests between land owners and government and poverty among rural dwellers have led to high rate of poaching on forest resources. Poaching on resources does not favour data collection.
5. Mode of resource exploitation - Because NWFP are treated as common property they are exploited on a daily occurrence. Outside protected areas, NWFP are exploited free of costs. In these circumstances no records are kept on the resources.
6. Information loss - Apart from the natural causes of information loss like bush fire, deforestation conversion from one type of vegetation to another adversely affects data collection of NWFPs. For instance, studies on a forest reserve in South West Nigeria revealed that 85% of the farmers agreed that use of non-native trees for afforestation is affecting the prevalence of some medicinal herbs, shrubs and lianias such as the local sponge plant (Momordica angustisepala). Faunal NWFP prevalence is also affected by plantation establishment especially the semi sedentary animals such as snails, tortoise and other slow reptiles whose locomotor rate are low and so easily captured in case of forest fires or forest degradation.
7. Inadequate marketing strategies - Marketing of NWFP usually follows an irregular flow pattern. The products are local resource which are sold or marketed almost as soon as they are collected, or when they are transported to the local markets.
8. Poor storage facilities - Some factors have been adduced to 'quick' selling of these commodities. The major one is lack of storage facilities (proper and improper ones), lack of expertise to handle the goods by locals to avoid deterioration quickly, lack of awareness on the potential or the need not to sell quickly these items, but to gradually sell in order to satisfy the ever-hungry situation in the local habitats does not leave room for proper or gradual trading of these commodities to ensure sustainability. This does not ensure a good marketing strategy.
9. Seasonal availability - Seasonal availability results in non-steady supply of the products mainly, because processing and storage technologies especially for perishable products, are inadequate.
10. Government policies - Deficiencies in equipment and funding due to improper planning and cost of activities contribute to inefficient data collection on NWFP. Government policies on forestry usually centres on timber production. As a result, NWFPs contribution to the economy is overlooked. This led to poor or loose documentation of these products.
11. Poor legislation - An equivalent legislation given to timber should be extended to NWFP, since it can be argued that neither of these two is superior to the other in importance. They have their various attributes but complement each other in the nation's economy.
12. Relationship between government and the people - Deficiencies in government support and conflicts between local people and forest managers for forest land and forest resource exploitation contributes to destruction of NWFP. Some issues peculiar to the ecological zones which may affect data generation and collection include ecological and human aspects. In the mangrove vegetation, the threat posed by the rapidly expanding colonies of Eichornia crassipes (water hyacinth) poses a problem to the conservation and utilization of biodiversity in the mangrove.
Destructive methods are used by the locals to harvest native salt from mangrove trees. Development and conservation programmes in NWFP in the forest zone are hampered by high rate of urbanization, extensive farming systems, high population growth, intensive logging and use of destructive methods in exploitation of forest produce e.g. uprooting of Gnetum spp and intensive collection and cracking of fruits of Irvingia gabonensis. These actions do not permit natural regeneration. The sudan savannah experiences over grazing and over exploitation of firewood which lead consequently to the decline in the supply of NWFP.
Known or existing techniques for propagation should be explored and applied to these indigenous species to test their propagative or development potentials. Knowledge of the phonological cycles of the species is inevitable to discuss fully their propagation. Improved method of propagation will surely help in establishing these species in ex-situ stands. Later, techniques suitable to each should be adopted for further trials. Initial research work will be to study diversity and characterize plants and animals in different ecosystems. Research should include monitoring environmental degradation and its impact on the supply of NTFP and the corresponding NTFP harvesting impacts on environmental degradation.
Research can also focus on diversity of utilization of these species. Some of these species are still under-utilized due to non conversion or improved refining of the products. Research should also look into improved harvesting methods where necessary for the NWFP.
Involvement of the communities in all aspects of NWFP conservation. Indigenous knowledge of forest resources has been adduced to communities living in forest vicinities. This knowledge can be fully tapped if the communities are encouraged to give off their best in forest management. Communities should also be encouraged to engage in ex-situ and in-situ conservation.
Partnership in development of forest resources should be encouraged by the government organ responsible for the natural resources sector.
Training of manpower for data collection on NWFP is necessary. This will help to ensure sustainable availability of data on these products.
Encouraging growth of the species in agroforestry plots where possible can help in domesticating the species. This should also involve the animal components. Trials should aim at establishing stands (monoculture) or mixed forest of the species.