Socio-spatial Analysis of Peri-Urban Agriculture and Food System Contributions in Ibadan

Peri-urban agriculture in Nigerian cities occupies a contested but critically important position in local food systems, producing perishable commodities that supply urban markets while providing income and food security buffers for farm households navigating the economic precarity of urban fringe locations in rapidly changing land markets. This study conducts a socio-spatial analysis of peri-urban agriculture in Ibadan Metropolis in Oyo State within the South West geopolitical zone, examining its spatial extent, production systems, food supply chain contributions, and governance context. Peri-urban agricultural land was mapped from Sentinel-2 imagery using a time-series phenology approach to differentiate cultivated land from other vegetated cover types in Ibadan's 500-metre to 20-kilometre fringe zone. Structured surveys with 340 peri-urban farmers across Oluyole, Akinyele, and Egbeda LGAs collected data on farm size, crop and livestock systems, input access, market channels, and land tenure conditions. Market chain analysis traced produce flow from 16 major peri-urban supply points to nine urban wholesale markets using trader network interviews. Results indicate that peri-urban agriculture supplies approximately 34 percent of Ibadan's daily leafy vegetable and fresh produce requirements, with informal unregulated urban fringe markets serving as the primary distribution intermediaries. Land tenure insecurity is reported as the primary constraint to farm investment by 71 percent of surveyed farmers, and land loss to estate developers is the most commonly cited threat to farming activity continuity. The study argues for peri-urban agriculture recognition in Ibadan's spatial planning framework and recommends short-term lease protections for identified high-value peri-urban farming zones. Keywords: peri-urban agriculture, food systems, Ibadan, Oyo State, South West Nigeria.