Closing the policy-practice gaps in Nigeria’s desertification interventions: a qualitative document analysis of sustainable practice

ABSTRACT

In Nigeria’s frontline states, the southward dryland degradation continues due to the failure of interventions to address the human and natural causes. This study provides a theory-driven evaluation to ascertain the causes of desertification intervention’s poor performance. It provides a conceptual model for scaling up interventions towards achieving the 2030 target 15:3 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Guided by intervention theory, relevant policy documents on desertification control were analyzed via Qualitative Document Analysis and triangulated by a semi-structured interview, and secondary data with the aid of ATLAS.ti 8. Findings revealed that a weak integration of Sustainable Practice across the policy cycle is responsible for notable gaps in the areas of an absence of participation of Civil Society Organizations and the use of Indigenous Knowledge, non-involvement of local government, and poor community ownership. Others include monitoring lapses, and the non-inclusion of the Land Degradation Neutrality concept – leading to failure in the Sustainability of Policy Instrument. A pragmatic approach integrating multi-stakeholder participation, the establishment of grass-root structure, and situation awareness should be incorporated across the policy cycle. The need for the development of Key Performance Indicators for tracking the progress of the Pan-African Great Green Wall initiative is also required.

KEYWORDS:

• Desertification
• sustainable practice
• qualitative document analysis
• intervention theory
• sustainability of instrument
• great green wall

Acknowledgment

We thank Malam Adamu Usman and Nigerian ATLAS.ti 8 forum for their support in the conduct of the analysis.

Geolocation information

Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The research was supported by Universiti Putra Malaysia.

Notes on contributors

Abdullahi Mohammad Jalam

Abdullahi Mohammad Jalam is a Ph.D. student at the Department of Environment, Faculty of Forestry and Environment, Universiti Putra Malaysia. His research area is on Environmental Policy and Governance. Email: [email protected].

Amir Hamzah Sharaai

Amir Hamzah Sharaai is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Environment. His research area focus on the Life cycle Assessment and costing, and Environmental Management Systems. Email: [email protected]

Mariani Ariffin

Mariani Ariffin is an Associate Professor at the Department of Environment, Universiti Putra Malaysia. She holds a Ph.D. in Law from the University of Kent. Her area of interest is on Environmental Law and Policy, and Biodiversity conservation law. Email: [email protected]

Norzalina Zainudin

Norzalina Zainudin is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Resource Management and Consumer Studies / Center of Sustainable Consumption, Faculty of Human Ecology, Universiti Putra Malaysia. Her research interest covers environment and development and Sustainable consumption. Email: [email protected]

Haruna Danladi Musa

Haruna Danladi Musa is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria. His research interest is on Environmental planning and management. Email: [email protected]