Impact of peri-Urban Growth in Agricultural Land in Minna Suburb

Abstract

Urban growth is seen to present both opportunities and threat to agriculture land. It was on this basis that this work sets out to assess the effect urban growth has on agricultural land uses in the peri-urban area of Minna, Niger State. Both primary and secondary data were collected in order to effectively achieve this. Simple random sampling was adopted in drawing samples from the study population. Two sets of satellite imageries obtained were used; that is, the Enhance Thematic Mapper (ETM) 2006 and the Enhance Thematic Mapper (2016). Three (3) spatial growth dynamics (Built-up, Agricultural land, Vegetation) were evaluated within the study areas between 2006 and 2016. Results obtained revealed that development has encroached into agricultural land uses with resultants environmental and socio-economic impacts on farmers. Though farmers had to relocate to the fringe for agricultural practices to give space for other competitive uses; results revealed significant improvements in their economic wellbeing due to increase in value of farm produce. The study recommends policy actions on the part of development control agency to produce a workable land use policy so as to curtail conflicting land uses, controls the pattern of development and prevents continuous encroachment into agricultural land in order to ensure food security in the Nigerian cities.