The Disenfranchisement of Practitioners and the Public Sector in Innovative Urban Farming in Sub-Saharan Africa: Insights from Nigeria

Abstract

Innovative urban farming is crucial for enhancing food security, nutrition, livelihood resilience, and environmental sustainability in Sub-Saharan African cities. However, agricultural policies and extension services often overlook urban contexts, presumably due to resource constraints. Yet, to improve productivity, understanding the challenges and opportunities of innovative urban farming is essential. Exploratory qualitative research, including focus group discussions, was conducted in, Lagos, Nigeria, to gather insights from stakeholders. The analysis, using mind maps and a consensus index, compared the perspectives of private urban farmers and public sector representatives. The urban farmers recognize the potential of circular agri-food technologies, like hydroponics, aquaponics, recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), drip irrigation, sack farming, and waste upcycling, to boost productivity. However, the urban farmers perceive a lack of public sector support for these innovations. The public sector representatives see the problem as urban farmers’ behavioral and educational shortcomings, particularly their lack of coordination and commitment to adopting innovations. These differing views highlight the complex dynamics between urban farmers and local agricultural policymakers. This study emphasizes the need for structural changes and local-level stakeholder dialogues for developing effective urban farming policies in Sub-Saharan Africa.