Vide Anosike and Mayowa Fasona

In: UA Magazine No. 12 - Gender and Urban Agriculture

A high rate of poverty among urban households, rapidly growing responsibilities of women as bread winners and the potentials embedded in city farming have caused urban agriculture to become a crucial activity in Lagos. However, inadequate access to land, a lack of improved implements and insufficient availability of water for irrigation, among other problems, remain pertinent obstacles to efficient and effective farm practices Women tend to be the worst affected by these problems and,. consequently, women dominate in many urban agricultural activities that have lower profit margins. Unfortunately, the changes expected to narrow down gender disparities in commercial food production processes and encourage high profit, savings and investment remain at the neophyte stage. This paper critically appraises the peculiarity of gender challenges in urban food production in Lagos and offers some policy considerations.