Protected Area Buffer Zone Management and Agricultural Encroachment: Evidence from Kogi State

Buffer zones surrounding protected areas serve as critical transitional landscapes, providing ecological connectivity, supporting livelihoods, and reducing human-wildlife conflict. In Kogi State, within Nigeria's North Central geopolitical zone, buffer zones around forest reserves face intense agricultural encroachment driven by population growth and the limited availability of alternative livelihood options. This study examines buffer zone management practices and the dynamics of agricultural encroachment in three forest reserves in Kogi State. Using a mixed-methods approach combining satellite image analysis, household surveys with 160 respondents, and interviews with forestry officers, the study documents the extent, drivers, and consequences of encroachment. Remote sensing data indicate a 22 percent reduction in buffer zone forest cover between 2016 and 2023. Agricultural expansion accounts for 78 percent of the land conversion, with the remainder attributable to charcoal production and settlement growth. Farmer surveys reveal that most encroachers are aware of buffer zone regulations but perceive enforcement as negligible. The economic returns from farming in encroached areas significantly exceed returns from legal activities on designated community land. The study recommends the revision of buffer zone agricultural regulations to permit low-intensity farming under specific conditions, establishment of community forest management cooperatives, and spatial optimization of ranger patrol coverage using GIS-based encroachment risk maps. These findings inform Kogi State's forest governance reform agenda. Keywords: buffer zone management, agricultural encroachment, Kogi State, North Central Nigeria, protected areas