Urban farming is rapidly growing in many cities in Nigeria including
a leading African megacity Lagos, although urban stakeholders have paid little attention
to the trend over time. The rate of growth of urban farming and its contributions
to Lagos state’s food supply strategy is worthy of note. In Lagos farming
activities are practiced and performed by some able bodied migrants from all
parts of the country, who for many reasons could hardly have been absolved by the
aggressive urban economy of the city. A close watch on the practitioners reveals
a pattern of operation which requires deeper inquiry. A total of 202 urban vegetable
farmers were interviewed in four areas of Lagos state to provide primary data
for this study. Results from the study showed that an average farmer owns a farm
plot of below 120 m by 60 m usually linear and along the expressway, the green
vegetable (Celosia argientes) alone constitutes about 97% of what is grown, beds are
arranged in sizes of about 1.8 m long by 0.9 m wide and 0.3 m high with furrows in
between. The farmers use the simplest local tools, chemical fertilizers, and strategically
located irrigation wells. It was also found that the farmers use some part of the
vegetables for household consumption, sell others to the local marketers, and contribute
their own quota to stem the rising prices of vegetable produce in the local
markets. It is therefore imperative on the stakeholders to re-examine the relevance
of urban farming in the city and provide support for its growth.