Mapping Urban Expansion in Ibadan Metropolis Using Landsat Imagery (2015-2023)

Urban expansion in Nigerian cities has accelerated in recent decades, creating pressure on infrastructure and natural resources. This study maps and analyses the spatial extent of urban growth in Ibadan metropolis, Oyo State, using multi-temporal Landsat satellite imagery acquired between 2015 and 2023. The study applies supervised classification techniques, specifically the Maximum Likelihood Classifier, to produce land use and land cover maps for each epoch. Change detection analysis is then performed to quantify transitions from vegetation, agricultural land, and bare surfaces to built-up areas. Accuracy assessment using ground truth data confirms overall classification accuracies exceeding 85 percent. Results indicate a marked expansion of built-up areas at the urban fringe, particularly along major transport corridors in the Akinyele and Lagelu local government areas. The study highlights the role of rural-urban migration and population growth as primary drivers of land conversion. The findings are expected to inform spatial planning and guide the Oyo State Ministry of Lands and Housing in developing evidence-based urban containment strategies. The research demonstrates the practical utility of freely available Landsat data for monitoring urban dynamics in resource-constrained environments. Keywords: urban expansion, land use change, Landsat, supervised classification, Ibadan