Effects of climate change on a peri-urban farming community in Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

This paper investigates the effects of climate change on agricultural activities in Igbe Farming Community, Lagos, Nigeria. The paper adopts a case study methodology in which structured questionnaires were administered on 161 farmers in the community. Information on the socio-economic characteristics of the farmers, their agricultural practices, knowledge of, vulnerability to and adaptation to climate change were obtained. The study revealed that most of the migrants lease their farm plots from the indigenous land owners on annual or biennial basis and made marginal profits of $200 to $350 per farming cycle. Erratic weather patterns and aggressive urban growth of the Lagos Megacity were the major challenges they faced. Forty-eight percent of respondents thus engaged in informal enterprises to cushion the effects. The paper concludes by advancing strategies for addressing identified challenges and these include the establishment of farming cooperatives in order to access agricultural land and support from institutional bodies.