Contributions to the Theory and Practice of Indigenous Knowledge Integration in GIS-Based Natural Resource Management in Nigeria

Indigenous knowledge systems in Nigerian farming and pastoral communities contain rich spatial understandings of natural resource dynamics that are largely excluded from formal GIS-based resource management. This study makes theoretical and practical contributions to integrating indigenous knowledge in GIS-based natural resource management through a multi-site study conducted with farming and pastoral communities in Nasarawa, Kebbi, and Imo states. A critical ontological framework for indigenous spatial knowledge, drawing on decolonial geography, post-positivist GIS theory, and environmental humanities, is developed to reconcile epistemological differences between satellite-derived and locally observed environmental knowledge. Participatory mapping and semi-structured interview methods elicit spatially referenced indigenous knowledge about soil quality, seasonal flooding patterns, groundwater locations, and ecosystem change from 180 community knowledge holders. This knowledge is formalized into GIS-compatible spatial datasets and integrated with satellite-derived maps using a fuzzy spatial integration approach. Comparative analysis demonstrates that indigenous knowledge improves prediction accuracy for groundwater borehole yield by 19 percent when integrated with conventional geophysical GIS layers. Keywords: indigenous knowledge, GIS integration, natural resource management, Nigeria, decolonial geography