ABSTRACT

This study aimed at evaluating the utilization of local material for home decoration among home makers in Umudike community, in Abia state. Specifically the study determined the extent by which the home makers used local materials in home decoration, the perception of the home makers on the utilization of local materials for home decoration, the challenges of  using local material in home decoration and the possible solutions to the challenges of using local materials in home decoration. The study design is survey. Four research questions guided the study. A total of two hundred home makers were randomly selected for the study. Validated structured questionnaire were the instrument used for data collection. The statistical tool used for data analysis was frequencies and percentage. The findings of the study reviewed among others that 70% of the home makers in National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike Quarters use local materials for their home decoration and these among others include wood, bamboo sticks, calabash and wooden frames. 50% of the home makers in Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike Quarters use local materials for their home decoration while 40% of the home makers in Umudike village use local materials for their home decoration. The least preferred local materials were hay mattress and lemon grass. Based on these findings, it was recommended that home makers should adopt the utilization of local materials for home decoration because they are cheap and easily accessible. Also recommended was for people to develop a creative mind and make use of their skills in producing good items for home decoration, because going for imported items is not the best. Producers should also adopt new technologies to reduce the challenges on the utilization of local materials for home decoration in order to promote the use of local materials for home decoration. Home makers are also encouraged to produce some of the local materials by themselves. They can even produce more than they need and sell some. This will serve as a source of revenue to the family and form of economic development to the nation.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page i

Approval ii

Certification iii

Dedication iv

Acknowledgment v

Table of content vi

Lists of tables viii

Abstract ix

CHAPTER 1

1.0 Introduction 1

1.1 Statement of the Problem 4

1.2 Objective of the study 5

1.3 Research Questions 5

1.4 Significance of the Study 5

1.5 Scope of the Study 7

CHAPTER 2

2.0 Literature Review 8

2.1 Conceptual framework 8

2.1.2 Local Materials 10

2.1.3 Types of local materials 10

2.1.4 The Benefits of Utilizing local materials for home decoration 14

2.1.5 Perception of people on the utilization of local materials for 

home decoration 14

2.1.6 Challenges of using local materials for home decoration 15

2.2 Review of Empirical studies 16

2.3 Summary of the Literature review 17

CHAPTER 3

3.0 Materials and Methods 19

3.1 Design of the study 19

3.2 Area of study 19

3.3 Population for the study 20

3.4 Sample and Sampling techniques 20

3.5 Instrument for data collection 21

3.6 Validation of the instrument 21

3.7 Reliability of the instrument 21

3.8 Data collection techniques 22

3.9 Data analysis techniques 22

CHAPTER 4

4.1 Results and Discussion 23

4.2 Discussions of Findings 28

CHAPTER 5

5.0 Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation 30

5.1 Restatement of Problem 30

5.2 Principal Findings 30

5.3 Summary 31

5.4 Conclusion 32

5.5 Recommendation 32

5.6 Suggested area for further study 33

References 34

Appendix 36

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Determination of the extent to which Local Materials are 

    Being used among home makers    23

Table 2: The Perception of the Respondents on the Utilization of 

     Local materials for Home decoration. 25

Table 3: The challenges of using Local Materials for Home 

    Decoration     26

Table 4:  Possible solutions to the challenges of using local 

     Materials for home Decoration 27