Lagos is the capital city of Nigeria. It has a substantial number of farmers, majority of who are male (72%) but men and women dominate different sectors. Commercial vegetable entrepreneurs in metropolitan Lagos are dominated mainly by poorly educated migrant farmers.
Competition for land and land tenure system in Lagos stimulates small holdings and scattered plots, attributing only 6% of labour force to support farming in the urban area. Farmers are made up of housewives, retired civil servants and migrants. Most of the farmers are married (75%) and have children but only a few of the males live with their families. Majority of the male farmers are seasonal migrants who come to Lagos to cultivate during certain periods of the year. The men spend longer time (up to 12 hrs) daily working on the farm than the women. Majority of full-time women cultivators are widows or divorcees and thus head of households who do not have any other sources of livelihood.
Women cultivate crops such as melon, waterleaf, spinach, tomatoes, hot pepper, spring onions, “ewedu”, maize and okra, while men more often cultivate lettuce, carrot, cucumber, aloe vera, green pepper and Indian spinach. Men farmers operate in all seasons harvesting some crops up to 8 -12 times throughout the year. The male farmers in Lagos work together and protect their interests. They encourage construction of common wells for irrigation, collective purchasing of seeds, fertiliser and poultry waste; joint marketing of farm produce and daily and monthly savings (“ajo”). Women farmers are denied such opportunities.
More women hold relatively small, less fertile lands that are less conducive for efficient farming practices. Their farms are located in unsafe and insecure areas on the edges of the cities which lack basic services as electricity and water, and farmers have to transport water sometimes over a distance between 100 and 300 meters especially during the dry season. Most women therefore depend on the assistance of hired labour and family members (children). |
