Agricultural land-use change and disappearance of farmlands in Kaduna Metropolis-Nigeria

Abstract

This study assessed agricultural land-use change in Kaduna metropolis. This study combined the use of remote sensing and geographic  information system (GIS) application to ascertain the rate of agricultural
land-use change from 1980 to 2012 in the study area. The four imageries (Landsat MSS 1980, Landsat TM 1990, Landsat ETM+ 2005 and Nigeria Sat X 2012) used were classified and compared to understand the rate and extent of agricultural land-use change during the different periods. The  findings revealed that the study area experienced a significant reduction in
agricultural land and these leads to continued disappearance of farmlands. Lastly, the decrease in agricultural lands leads to loss of livelihood, reduction in food supply and increase poverty. This has raised so many concerns about the sustainability of Urban and Peri Urban Agriculture (UPA) production in the study area whereby the small scale farmers are the most affected.

Key Words: Land-Use, Urban, Farmers, Remote Sensing, Geographic Information System (GIS) and Kaduna, Nigeria