Feeding Africa's urban poor: urban and peri-urban horticulture in Kano, Nigeria

Tony Binns and Nicholas Fereday

Introduction

Sub-Saharan Africa is still overwhelmingly rural, with 70% of its people living in rural 
areas engaged primarily in producing food for household consumption. However, the scene 
is changing rapidly and with an average annual urban growth rate of 4.8% (1980-93), Sub-
Saharan Africa is now urbanizing more rapidly than any other part of the world. Whilst the 
urban elites will no doubt continue to purchase large quantities of imported food from 
supermarkets, there is increasing concern about feeding the growing numbers of urban poor, 
many of whom have no permanent employment and limited access to resources. The 
situation is likely to become even more difficult as we move towards and into the twenty-
first century. In addition to increasing poverty and malnutrition, the absence of a reasonably 
priced and plentiful source of basic foodstuffs for the urban poor could prove a major threat 
to local and national political stability.

The potential of 'urban farming' 

The implications of rapid urban growth in poor countries was a key item on the agenda of 
the recent Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), held in 
Istanbul, Turkey from 3-14 June 1996. Whilst organizations such as the International Food 
Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) favour greater investment in the rural areas of poor 
countries, and particularly in the agricultural sector, in the hope that this will in time reduce 
rural-urban migration, in the short term at least, more effective policies must be developed 
to feed the growing urban poor (IFPRI, 1996). IFPRI suggests that, "...better channels of 
communication between farmers and the cities, and new methods for transporting food 
cheaply from rural areas to cities, will be crucial for stimulating economic growth in the 
rural sectors and low food prices throughout a country" (IFPRI, 1996, p3). However, like 
other researchers and research insitutions, IFPRI has recognised recently the potential of 
urban agriculture, "...One way to help ward off hunger among low-income households of the 
future may be through 'urban agriculture' - the farming of small plots of land available in 
urban environments or on the perimeter of the city" (IFPRI, 1996, p6). A recent newspaper 
report also recognised the potential of urban and peri-urban horticulture, commenting, 
"...Urban farming is lifting hundreds of millions of people out of extreme poverty and 
improving nutrition and health standards around the world. An estimated 800 million - just 
under a third of the world's city-dwellers - grow food or keep livestock in cities for 
consumption or as a source of income...Yet most governments, as well as the big 
international lenders like the World Bank, have underrated or overlooked it. Governments 
sometimes even try to ban it by driving people off land they are using productively, whereas 
city authorities ought to be taking measures to develop and enlarge it" (The Observer, 26 
May 1996).

Although there has been some recent interest in food production in and around African 
towns and cities, there is a need for much more research on this issue (see for example, 
Briggs (1991), Drakakis-Smith (1991) and Lynch (1995). Such work in Africa and 
elsewhere, has often recognised the enterprising efforts of urban and peri-urban farmers and 
their considerable potential for enhancing urban food supply. 

Relatively little, however, has so far been written on farming in and around the cities of 
Africa's most populous country, Nigeria. With over 35% of the country's 105 million people 
(1993 estimate) living in towns and cities, Nigeria is one of Africa's most urbanized 
countries. Furthermore, the rate of growth of some Nigerian cities has been spectacular, with 
the largest city, Lagos, for example, growing at an estimated annual rate of 6% during the 
1980's and early 1990's (Binns, 1994).

Urban farming in and around Kano, Nigeria - a case study 

The northern Nigerian city of Kano has grown rapidly in recent years and today has an 
estimated population of somewhere between 2 and 3 million people. Kano is located in the 
semi-arid savanna belt of Nigeria, with an average annual rainfall of 850mm and a long dry 
season from late September to May, though there is much variation in both the amount and 
frequency of rainfall from one year to the next. Dry season cultivation is dependent on 
irrigation, and valley bottom areas or 'fadamas', where the water table is close to the surface, 
are valuable locations for dry season crops (see Olofin, in this collection).

The importance of horticultural produce in the Kano region is evident to any traveller 
coming into the city by road. Piled high along the roadside waiting for collection and 
'passing trade' are large quantities of carrots, potatoes, tomatoes and many other vegetables 
and fruits. The production and movement of these fresh commodities to the city's markets is 
big business. As Fig.1 shows, within 10 kms of the walls of the old city are many areas 
devoted to fruit and vegetable production. (INSERT MAP -Fig 1 here) A large proportion of 
these plots are actually in built-up areas and some are even found within the walls of the 
densely settled old city. Furthermore, high compound walls hide from view other areas of 
horticultural production, usually tended by women, who are in strict seclusion according to 
local Islamic tradition. Horticultural holdings are typically small, with more than 70% being 
less than 0.40 hectares. Since fruit and vegetables are highly perishable in a tropical climate, 
many of the production sites are located within easy reach of the markets, the most 
important vegetable market being along the Hadejia road to the east of the old city. Access 
to water supply is particularly important, and within the urban area many water sources are 
highly polluted with domestic and industrial effluent.

One important vegetable production area lies in the shadows of the Federal Aviation 
Authority's transmission masts, just across the road from the old walls on the south side of 
the city (RTA on Fig 1). This site, roughly 1km by 0.5km, is surrounded by built up areas 
and draws its main water supply from a drain leading from the old city. The area was 
opened up to cultivation in the early 1980's, when the last civilian government under 
President Shagari issued a policy statement to say that all public vacant lands within urban 
areas could be cultivated free of charge. The cultivation at this site seems to have had little 
negative impact on the environment. In fact, the Aviation Authority is generally satisfied 
that the farming activities have improved the condition of the site. The area is divided into 
two parts; the first, located alongside and as far as 200 metres to the west of the main drain, 
uses irrigation for the year-round cultivation of vegetables and grains, such as lettuce, 
spinach, okra, maize and rice, whilst the other section of the site grows rainfed staple crops, 
such as sorghum and millet, during the wet season.  

Access to land is on a 'first-come, first-served' basis, by seeking permission from the 
Aviation Authority's officers on the site. There is much competition for plots, and those 
acquired more recently are generally smaller than those acquired earlier. Most plots in the 
irrigated area are between 0.01 and 0.4 ha, whilst plots in the rainfed farming area are 
generally twice or 4 times larger than the irrigated plots. There is also considerable 
competition for water in the dry season, and it is not uncommon for farmers to irrigate at 
night. A bucket or similar container is the main method used, and only one of the farmers 
interviewed had a petrol pump. Some farmers with plots away from the drain have sunk 
shallow wells to tap less polluted ground water, though there is concern about damaging the 
underground transmission cables that abound at the site. Cultivation at the site is undertaken 
by men, often assisted by their sons. A majority of farmers use both family and hired labour. 
Wages fluctuate according to labour demand, but during the peak demand period in the wet 
season, when many people are busy with rainfed farming, 60 naira (c.£0.50) was typically 
paid for half a day's work from 7.30 to 12.00 noon. 

There are three cropping seasons for vegetables; the dry season with full irrigation lasts 
from November to March; a transition season starts in April and continues into the rainfed 
cropping season in June; wet season cropping usually begins in early June and continues 
until late September. The site includes a few fruit trees, notably paw paw and banana which 
are harvested when needed. Some chemical fertilizer is used, but it has recently become 
more difficult to obtain, such that ash, household refuse and animal manure are now the 
most common additions to maintain soil fertility. Most farmers have received little, if any, 
advice from extension workers, and a 'self-help' credit association unfortunately collapsed 
because it was felt that the leaders were gaining disproportionate amounts of benefit from 
the arrangement.

A large proportion of the farmers interviewed engage in horticultural production to 
supplement wages from their main occupation, commenting that horticultural production is 
more lucrative than growing rainfed staples. Produce is mainly transported by bicycle or 

is headloaded for sale at the local market on the southern edge of the site. However, some 
crops are sold directly to local consumers or to market traders and middlemen. Occasionally 
a whole plot of maize or carrots, for example, may be sold to such traders, who visit the 
farm to negotiate a price, prior to arranging for the harvest and transport of the produce to 
the larger city markets. Finally, when asked about the main problems they faced, farmers 
identified the following;

* Physical security of crops- crop theft is a problem
* Cost and scarcity of chemical fertilizers and pesticides
* Cost and availability of mechanical pumps (c.£375 each), and cost and scarcity of fuel
* Insufficient water, and pollution of irrigation water
* Small size of holdings and insecurity of tenure
* Fluctuations in the prices of horticultural products

Conclusion

It is clear from studying horticulture in and around a large city such as Kano that large 
quantities of fruit and vegetables are being produced, marketed and consumed. The Kano 
picture must surely be replicated in many other towns and cities across Sub-Saharan Africa. 
There is an urgent need for further investigation into the extent, potential and problems of 
urban and peri-urban horticulture, with a view to encouraging greater production of these 
commodities to feed rapidly growing urban populations. Such a strategy needs to be 
supported by both national and municipal authorities and developed alongside other policies 
which help to raise food production and alleviate poverty in the rural areas.

References

Binns, Tony, 1994, Tropical Africa, Routledge, London, pp133-141.

Briggs, J A, 1991, The peri-urban zone of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: recent trends and 
changes in agricultural land use, Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, 
New Series, 16 (3), pp319-31.

Drakakis-Smith, D W, 1991, Urban food distribution in Asia and Africa, Geographical 
Journal, 157 (1), pp51-61.

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), 1996, Urbanization and Agriculture to 
the Year 2020, News and Views, April 1996.

Lynch, K, 1995, Sustainability and urban food supply in Africa, Sustainable Development, 
3, pp79-88.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Professor Emmanuel Olofin and his colleagues from the 
Department of Geography, Bayero University, Kano (BUK) for their collaboration in 
undertaking a detailed survey of urban and peri-urban horticulture in Kano for the Natural 
Resources Institute (NRI). It is hoped that the results of this survey will be published in the 
near future. The map used in this paper is adapted from one produced by the BUK survey 
team.

Dr J A (Tony) Binns
School of African and Asian Studies
University of Sussex
Falmer, Brighton, Sussex, BN1 9QN

Nicholas Fereday
Natural Resources Institute
University of Greenwich
Central Avenue
Chatham Maritime
Kent, ME4 4TB

3 Colour Prints are enclosed, captions as follows;

1. Roadside vegetable sales outside Kano

2. Farmer irrigates his fruit and vegtable plot within Kano's built-up area

3. Children carrying vegetables to market from the Radio Transmission Area (RTA) 
production site