Ibadan, Nigeria  (Pilot city)

Ibadan, the capital city of Oyo State, is located about 145 km north-east of Lagos, the federal capital of Nigeria. It has an estimated population of about 9 million (1986). The total land area in Ibadan is more than 1,000 ha.  These include the banks of streams as well as isolated wetland areas that dot the city, which is enclosed by valleys and swamps. Majority of the soils ranged between typic tropaquept and typic tropaquent. However, they are scattered all over the landscape of the Ibadan city and majority are not used at all for either agriculture or for any form of land use. Family land and leasehold accounts for the dominant part of land tenure systems of urban vegetable production. Farm sizes-, as well as, the number of farm holdings by individual farmers are a factor of land tenure. Farm sizes average below one hectare.

Table 1: Major features of UA in Ibadan Metropolis

Source: Adeniyi Gbadegesin, 1991

With the removal of fertiliser subsidies in the country, most farmers now resort to the use of processed organic waste from compost compounding facilities, refuse dumps or land reclamation centres. In some cases, solid waste is burnt in incinerators, resultant ashes and remains are used for vegetable production.

In terms of the availability and distribution of farm inputs, technology transfer, and types of vegetables cultivated, Ibadan has yet to meet the standards operating in Lagos. The predominant crop production in Ibadan is staple food (tubers and maize). Vegetables produced in Ibadan include Chinese spinach, okra, aubergine, cucumber, tomatoes, pepper, etc. A significant fraction of these vegetables is passed to individual consumers through several local markets operating on a daily basis.

In Ibadan, urban farmers have difficulty in offering their products for sale due to resistance from organised market’s union in the large public markets within greater Ibadan. As a first step, Food Basket (an NGO), assisted local vegetable and fruit producers to establish links with street food vendors without the necessity of entering the formal markets.

Competition for land for non-agricultural use is regarded as the main threat to urban agriculture. This is to be expected as the value of land for development is always higher than is for farming.

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