Impact of Land Use Change on the Agrarian Land and Livelihood of Suburb Dwellers of Ilorin, Nigeria

Abstract

Land use change in Ilorin’s suburb appears to be increasing at an unprecedented rate, altering the existing land-use pattern and transforming the livelihood of suburb dwellers as agricultural land in the suburb continues to decline. This land use change has varying effects on agriculture and the livelihoods of the residents. This study looks into the impact of land use change on agricultural land and the livelihoods of Ilorin’s suburban dwellers. Ganmo and Eyenkorin were specifically chosen for the study due to their proximity to Ilorin and the intensity of land-use change they have witnessed over the years. The 366 questionnaires were distributed using a simple random sampling method. The study’s findings revealed that agricultural land is being lost in the suburbs, with 86.1% of respondents losing their land due to urban-suburb migration and land-use change, affecting their livelihood. The regression analysis yielded R2 = 71.5%, indicating that land-use change has a significant impact on the livelihood of suburb dwellers. The study comes to the conclusion that increased urban-suburban migration, a disregard for suburban planning, and a lack of emphasis on agriculture is to blame for the majority of the issues caused by land-use change in the suburb. Therefore, the study suggests that all interested parties be involved in the administration and planning of land use in the suburb. This will stop urban sprawl toward the suburbs and protect agricultural land and endangered land uses.

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