Reconnecting humans and nature through biocultural approaches: the role of indigenous cultural values for biodiversity conservation in Southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

Rapid socio-cultural transformation and increasing human disconnection from nature have contributed to biodiversity decline, particularly in Indigenous communities where traditional ecological systems are weakening. Guided by the Biocultural Conservation Theory, this study examined the influence of Indigenous cultural values, traditional ecological knowledge, and human–nature relationships on biodiversity conservation among Egba communities in Southwestern Nigeria. A cross-sectional explanatory survey design was adopted, and data were collected from 395 respondents selected through a multistage sampling technique across eight Egba communities in Abeokuta North and Abeokuta South Local Government Areas, Ogun State. Data were obtained using a semi-structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Spearman’s rank correlation, Kruskal–Wallis H test, and multiple linear regression. The findings revealed strong recognition of Indigenous cultural mechanisms as important drivers of biodiversity conservation. Traditional festivals promoting harmony between humans and nature (4.15 ± 1.02), sacred groves protected from exploitation (4.10 ± 0.96), rituals associated with land and wildlife stewardship (4.09 ± 0.95), and totemic protection of species (4.05 ± 0.99) emerged as major conservation practices. Traditional institutions, including councils of chiefs, hunters’ guilds, and traditional rulers, were also perceived as influential in enforcing biodiversity-related norms. However, urbanization, modernization, poverty, declining intergenerational knowledge transfer, and weak institutional recognition were identified as major threats to Indigenous conservation systems. Significant age-related differences in perceptions of traditional conservation practices (p < 0.05) highlighted generational variations in Indigenous ecological values. The study concludes that Indigenous cultural systems remain essential for biodiversity conservation. Policy interventions should strengthen collaboration between formal conservation institutions and Indigenous governance systems through legal recognition of sacred sites, support for traditional ecological knowledge transmission, and inclusion of Indigenous authorities in biodiversity decision-making processes.