Determinants of Willingness to Pay for Wildlife Conservation Among Urban Residents in Abuja

Understanding urban residents' willingness to pay for wildlife conservation is essential for designing effective conservation finance instruments and public engagement strategies in Nigeria. Abuja, as the federal capital territory, represents a large and economically diverse urban population with significant potential to contribute to national conservation funding through taxes, donations, and ecotourism expenditure. This study employs contingent valuation methodology to assess the willingness to pay for wildlife conservation among a representative sample of 350 urban residents in Abuja. A structured survey instrument presented respondents with hypothetical payment scenarios for a national wildlife conservation fund and elicited bid amounts through closed-ended follow-up questions. Results indicate a mean willingness to pay of N4,200 per year, with significant variation explained by income level, educational attainment, awareness of biodiversity issues, and previous ecotourism visitation. Individuals with tertiary education and prior park visitation experience show significantly higher willingness to pay values. The aggregate annual willingness to pay across Abuja's adult population is estimated at N28.4 billion, representing a substantial untapped conservation finance pool. The study recommends the development of a national conservation fund contribution mechanism, targeted conservation awareness campaigns for lower-income and younger urban residents, and incentive programs for first-time ecotourism visitors. Keywords: willingness to pay, contingent valuation, conservation finance, Abuja, North Central Nigeria