Assessment of Urban Rooftop Garden Adoption Among Households in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory

Urbanization in Nigeria has significantly reduced available land for food crop cultivation, making alternative food production systems such as rooftop gardening increasingly relevant. In Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, limited agricultural land, high food prices, and increasing awareness of nutrition are driving household interest in urban horticulture. This study assesses the level of adoption, motivating factors, and constraints to rooftop garden establishment among households in three area councils of Abuja FCT. A structured questionnaire was administered to 150 purposively sampled urban households. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a logit regression model to determine factors influencing adoption decisions. Findings indicate that household income, educational level, access to extension information, and awareness of horticultural benefits are significant positive predictors of rooftop garden adoption. Key constraints identified include lack of technical knowledge on container gardening, high initial setup costs, and limited access to quality horticultural inputs. The study concludes that rooftop gardening holds strong potential for improving household food security in Abuja but requires structured policy support and targeted extension services. Recommendations include integrating urban horticulture into municipal planning frameworks and establishing community demonstration gardens to promote adoption. These results add to growing literature on urban food systems in Nigerian cities. Keywords: rooftop gardens, urban horticulture, adoption, Abuja, food security