Conceptualising Indigenous Knowledge and Traditional Practices for Agricultural Bioresources Utilisation: Towards Achievement of SDGs 2, 13 and 15

Abstract

Indigenous knowledge has been described in ontological and epistemological terms, but it has rarely been conceptualised against the utilisation of agricultural bioresources in Nigeria. This study documents how indigenous knowledge and traditional practices are used, and how they contribute to Sustainable Development Goals 2, 13 and 15. A mixed-method design combined a survey of 155 farmers, 20 interviews with elders and knowledge custodians, and two focus-group discussions in four farming communities. Quantitative data were analysed in SPSS 25. Qualitative data were analysed thematically and triangulated. Indigenous names and elder classification remain central to how communities conceptualise crops and animals (cluster mean about 3.97). Intercropping, mulching, seed preservation and soil-fertility practices were strongly endorsed. The same practices were linked by respondents to food availability, climate coping and habitat protection, with item means from 3.91 to 4.11. The paper joins Ecological Systems Theory, Indigenous Innovation Theory and the Sustainable Livelihood Framework to survey and oral evidence, rather than offering a descriptive inventory alone. Agricultural and climate policy should treat indigenous knowledge as a complement to scientific practice, document it before generational loss, and build university–community partnerships around hybrid extension.