MEANING OF OCCUPATION Occupation is an economic activity engaged in by people as a means of earning a living. Meaning of Traditional Occupation This is an economy activity that is being practiced in a given locality. Several traditional occupations are engaged in by men and women in the locality. While some traditional occupations are mainly engaged in by men, some are mainly practiced by women. There are other traditional occupations practised by both men and women. THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME OF THE TRADITIONAL OCCUPATIONS IN THE LOCALITY. 1. Boat making 2. Carving 3. Cloth making 4. Farming 5. Fishing 6. Pottery 7. Salt making 8. Iron mining 9. Basket and mat weaving 10. Black smithing. Importance of the Traditional Occupations in the Locality. The following are some of the importance of traditional occupations in the locality. 1. Provision of food; The people engage in traditional occupations in order to provide foodstuffs. Major food crops being cultivated are rice, cassava, maize, palm oil, okra etc. 2. Provision of shelter: The people engage in traditional occupations in order to provide shelter and safety. 3. Provision of clothing: The cloth weavers provide different types of clothes worn by the people. 4. Source of income: The people engage in traditional occupations as a source of income. 5. Provision of working tools: The provision of farm tools and implements, used by farmers are carried out by the blacksmiths.