ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I give praise and adoration to Almighty Allah the king of the universe the omnipotent of earth the beneficent and merciful that has continue to fulfill his promises for me and most especially his grace I enjoyed during this research work.
DEDICATION
ABSTRACT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.1 Horticulture Means of Improving Urban Green spare 1.2 Urban Horticulture as Green Revolution
2.0 Importance of Horticultural Plant in Nigerian
2.1 Achieve Universal Primary Education and Promote gender Equally and Empower Woman
2.2 Poverty alleviation and Empowerment
CHAPTER THREE
3.0 challenges of Horticulture in Nigeria 3.1 poor Agricultural Practice and Filter 3.2 land Tenure Insecurity
3.3 poor Market Access and Marketing Efficiency 3.4 Inadequate Infrastructure
3.5 Pest and Disease
CHAPTER FOUR 4.0 Summary 4.1 Conclusion
4.2 Recommendation
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
The word horticulture comes from Latin and refers to the cultivation of gardens.
Horticulture involves growing plants for their aesthetic value (e.g., in floriculture;
the cultivation of flowers), or on a very local scale as food (as in a home garden)
(ward, 1992). In addition to home gardening, horticulturists are involved in the
landscaping and maintenance of public gardens, parks, golf courses, and playing
fields. Seed growers, plant growers, and nurseries are the major suppliers of plants
and supplies for use in horticulture (FAO, 2010). Among the important specialists
working in horticulture are plant physiologists, who work on the nutritional needs
of plants and plant pathologists, who are engaged in protecting plants from
diseases and insect damage. For the amateur home gardener, the rewards of
horticulture are both recreational and emotional. Gardening is one of the most
popular pastimes for many people for those living in suburbs, as well as city
dwellers who plant window boxes, grow house plants, or develop a garden in a
vacant lot. Whether plants are being grown on a large scale for commercial
purposes or for the pleasures of having a garden, they have fundamental needs that
Nigeria is a large country with very large population with the non-farming
population concentrated in our big cities all over the country. Feeding the 180
millinon people in Nigeria today and at the same time conserving our environment
is a great challenge facing our farmers and the government. Thus, sustainable
intensification as being practiced by our integrated vegetable farmers and dealers
in Nigeria is generally a way forward and an alternative to industrialized farming
(Abegunde, 2011). Although this sustainable intensification of vegetable and fruits
production may not be a panacea itself it offers a useful approach to improving
vegetable food availability given our situation. Food and Agricultural Organization
(2010) estimated that about 790 million people are chronically undernourished in
the developing regions of the world. Specifically daily food consumption consists
of mainly cereals, roots and tubers. This poor feeding habit predisposes the people
to infections and such disease as typhoid fever, heart, liver and kidney disease due
to poor body defense mechanisms. Fruits and vegetables play a very important role
in the nutrition and health (Abegunde, et al., 2009) especially as they contain
substances which regulate or stimulate digestion, act as laxatives or diuretics,
pectins and phenoic compounds which play a part in regulating the pH of the
intestines.
Fruits and vegetables also contribute to the income of both the rural and urban
the amount of employment per hectare of production compared to cereal crop
production (Ademola, 2002). The move from cereal production towards high-value
horticulture crops is an important contributor to employment opportunities in
developing countries (Adejumo, 2003). In spite of various initiatives aimed at
improving the horticultural sub-sector, the sector still remains relatively
under-developed. The horticultural sub-sector also revlects the problems in the
agricultural sub-sector. These problems include inadequate knowledge and
technology of production, insufficient planting materials, land tenure, poor
extension services and insufficient postharvest facilities (Aluko, 2010).
Horticultural crop production in Nigeria has been hampered by the policy and
fiscal constraints of the governments. It has received very little attention in the
national perspective plan for agricultural development (Amati, 2008).
1.1 Horticulture: Means of Improving Urban Green Space
In the history of Nigeria’s cities, urban horticulture has not been formally
recognized or promoted as a feasible means of improving urban green space,
aesthetic or of increasing employment opportunities of urban agriculturalists
(Deininger and squire, 1996). This is probably because town planning laws
originated from the “work camp” or township pattern of colonial days where no
Thomas, 2007). In addition, most Nigeria’s cities were organically formed and
became expanded to meet the urbanization challenges arising from population
influx, city governance and economic development. This lack of master plans that
established the creation and guide the expansion of these cities, the need for green
space in Nigeria built environment is becoming very obvious. Many of her
communities are becoming more urbanized with little or no attention to green
space. Such cities include Onitsha, Enugu, Aba and Umuahia in the East;
Port-Harcourt and Uyo in the Southeast; Kaduna, Maduguri, Kano and Jos in the North
and Lagos, Ibadan, Abeokuta and Akure in the Southwest, to mention but few.
Lagos, the most populated city in Southwestern Nigeria is one of such urban
environment where green space must be urgently attended to. The city with limited
land, chocked with housing development, has many heavy industries and hosts the
highest number of automobiles in the country (Oduwaye, 2006). In this city, a
focus on horticulture that promotes aesthetic and provides green plants in urban
areas should be of more interest to urban environmentalist as seen in figure 1.
Physical observations in the city show that most individuals who practice urban
horticulture take it as vocation to cope with the hostile economy (Adejumo, 2003).
The social implications of this, first to the horticulturists and much more on urban
land use planning and development in Lagos are not well documented in research.
promote environmental sanitation. These have been piecemeal in approach. It is
upon this identified problem (the need for green space) that this study is based.
This is with a view to using information observed to challenge urban planners to
look beyond the traditional practices of mere setting out of buildings and
communication routes (Adejumo, 2003) but rather give desired attention to urban
green space in urban land use planning and development. This is imperative in the
present global warming.
1.2 Urban Horticulture As Green Revolution
The world global warming and depletion of ozone layer are part of negative effects
of man’s destruction of green belts on earth surface. It should be noted that only
18% of earth surface hosts agriculture, industrialization, road networks, housing
and other socio-spatial activities. The rest is occupied by seas, mountains and ice
(OECD, 2001). There have been persistent campaigns for more green spaces in the
built environment. Scholars’ interests in green spaces in modern cities indicate that
urban planners should not only perceive urban horticulture as a means to urban
aesthetics but as one of the strategies to achieving green revolution in urban areas.
In sub-Sahara region of Africa, little attention has been given to spatial distribution
of green space in city planning. This is despite the fact that by 2025, about 71% of
land areas where green space as at present is less than 3% of their urban land uses
(Omisore and Abegunde, 2000).
1.3 Horticultural Plants
Horticultural plants are plants which are used by people for food, for medicinal
purposes, and for aesthetic gratification. It is generally accepted by researchers and
educators in horticultural science that horticultural crops include: tree, bush and
perennial vine fruits; perennial bush and tree nuts; vegetables (roots, tubers, shoots,
stems, leaves, fruits and flowers of edible and mainly annual plants); aromatic and
medicinal foliage, seeds and roots (from annual or perennial plants); cut flowers,
potted ornamental plants, and bedding plants (involving both annual or perennial
plants); and trees, shrubs, turf and ornamental grasses propagated and produced in
nurseries for use in landscaping or for establishing fruit orchards or other crop
production units (marco and Charles, 2009).
1.4 Olericulture
Olericulture is defined as that branch of horticulture dealing with the production of
vegetables and herbs. The production of vegetables including storage, processing,
and marketing. Vegetable crops are grown for their succulent and edible parts such
as the roots, stems, leaves, young tops, flowers, fruits, or seeds for use in culinary
1.5 Nursery Crop Culture
Nursery production (also known as plant propagation) involves growing plants
under intensive management for use in another location. The propagation and
production of seedlings, young trees, shrubs and vines, as well as ground covers,
turf, ornamental plants and other crops in nurseries for landscaping, interior plants
caping, or out planting. Nurseries are defined in a variety of ways: a) the type of
plant grown, such as fruit tree, turf or Christmas tree nurseries; b) the function of
the nursery, such as production, wholesale, retail, mail-order or landscape
nurseries; and c) the production system, such as field-grown or container-grown
(omisore and abegunde, 2000).
1.6 Landscape Horticulture
Landscape horticulture is the branch of horticulture which includes the design,
construction and care of landscapes taking into consideration proper choice of
plants and aesthetic effects for homes, businesses and public places. The following
crops are likewise generally included within the domain of the branches of
horticulture: perennial bush and tree nuts; and aromatic and medicinal foliage,
seeds and roots (FAO, 2010). Horticulture differs from agronomy in many ways
but some crops can be classified as both horticultural and agronomic depending on
tropics, however, the distinction between horticulture and agronomy is not clear.
Horticulture is intensive. It deals with high value crops which are intensively
cultivated with high infusion of capital in term of production inputs, labor and
CHAPTER TWO
2.0 IMPORTANCE OF HORTICULTURAL PLANTS IN NIGERIA
The importance of horticultural plants in Nigeria includes eradication of extreme
hunger and poverty, horticultures are also used to empower women and achieve the
universal primary education as well as promoting gender equality among Nigeria.
Horticulture also has several health benefits such as reduced child mortality, and
improves maternal health and also used to combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and
other chronic diseases (FAO, 2010). Horticultures ensure environmental
sustainability and also provide new jobs and economic opportunities for Nigerian,
it enhances higher incomes and rural economies, improved food security and
nutrition and they serve as a veritable sources for pharmaceuticals and other
therapeutic materials in Nigeria.
2.1 Achieve Universal Primary Education
Micronutrient deficiencies impair cognitive and psychomotor skills, particularly in
young children. These deficiencies can be alleviated through eating a balanced
diet, rich in vegetables and fruits. With these improved, micronutrient-rich diets,
children’s cognitive and psychomotor skills are enhanced. Children who learn
more and do well in school are more likely to want to stay in school and tier
education (FAO, 2010). Increased education also enhances the ability of the new
generation of farmers to adopt more advanced technologies and crop management
techniques.
2.2 Poverty, Alleviation, Empowerment, Youth
The cause of Nigeria poverty problem is well known to all Nigerians and to some
extent the rest of the enlightened world as well. Poverty is a multi-dimensional and
multi-faceted problem. It goes beyond just income. It has political undertone in
that it affects people’s right, power, relations and access to resources.
Nigeria as we know is the six largest oil producers in the world but these resources
has not been used to benefit the poor. Unemployment is not new to Nigerians. They
are used to reading about the general failure of the state called Nigeria. We have
heard gory stories of “700,000 applicants jostle for 5,000 positions in the customs”,
let alone the Nigeria police. When Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomole advertize for
10,000 job vacancies, over 100,000 jobless applicants turned in their applications.
(Vanguard Dec. 7, 2011).
The causes of Nigerian’s poverty problem are well-known to all Nigerians and to
some extent, the rest of the enlightened world as well. Ridiculously as this may
sound, the scale of poverty in a country of more than 148million people is such
development. Goals if Nigeria fails”. Though, the primary cause of poverty which
has caused living standard below the National poverty level is failure to distribute
the country’s vast oil revenues more equitably. But we are neglecting the fact that
empowering the youth will be the major focus of poverty eradication strategies and
policies. The purposes of this study are centred on:
To access and evaluate the effectiveness of policy of poverty alleviation in
Ogun State.
To access and evaluate the responsiveness of the people to the policy, either
positively or negatively.
2.3 Improve Maternal Health
Maternal health depends on having achieved food security during girlhood as well
as a diet rich in micronutrients during conception, pregnancy and the first few
months after childbirth (FAO, 2010). The health of women before conception
directly impacts their health during pregnancy and child birth. The majority of
pregnant women in developing countries suffer from anemia and other
micronutrient deficiencies. This affects both their productivity during pregnancy
and can lead to complications for the fetus during and after childbirth. Horticulture
can benefit maternal health directly by improving the quality of women’s diets.
Vegetables and fruits are the most appropriate sources of micronutrients in the diets
2.4 Ensure Environmental Sustainability
Legume vegetable crops increase soil fertility through atmospheric nitrogen
fixation. Leguminous vegetables integrated into cereal-based cropping systems in
rotation or as part of a mixed-cropping system enrich and can break plant disease
life cycles. Perennial tree crops can conserve and protect the soil in hilly and high
rainfall regions. Disease-resistant varieties, mixed cropping and the use of
integrated pest management (IPM) technologies reduce pesticide use.
Understanding the concepts of low-input agriculture allows maximum outputs with
minimum inputs (abegunde et al., 2009). This can even include promotion of
organic practices for niche market trade. Micro-irrigation technology permits
efficient use of water, allowing the water to be delivered to the point it is required
with minimal evaporative losses. This is particularly important where water
supplies are scarce. Through fertilization, plant nutrients can be safely and
economically delivered through irrigation systems. High value horticultural crops
produce more profit per unit of water used, compared to most traditional crops and
CHAPTER THREE
3.0 CHALLENGES OF HORTICULTURE PRACTICE IN NIGERIA
The grand challenges facing the world population have big impact in the
horticultural arena as in other areas of agriculture both in and outside Nigeria,
particularly in this period of increasingly rapid climate change. Horticulture
practice in Nigeria have several challenges confronting them which include the
effect of pests and diseases of plants, poor agricultural practicing and low fertilizer
use (fertilizers are not readily available for the farmers). Low access to agricultural
credit is one of the major challenges couple with the land tenure insecurity, as well
as the low and unstable investment in agricultural research (deininger and squire,
1996; FAO, 2010). Poor market access and marketing efficiency with inadequate
infrastructures, postharvest losses of fruits and vegetables also pose serious
challenges to horticultures in Nigeria.
3.1 Poor Agricultural Practicing and Low Fertilizer Use
Fertilizer use is promoted mainly by the fertilizer subsidy policy in Nigeria. Input
subsidies have been a part of Nigeria’s agricultural price policy since
independence, and in spite of economic reforms in Nigeria, fertilizer subsidies
have remained (katinka and Thomas, 2007). In addition, under these sustained and
and extension, which also aim to boost productivity, are limited. Although
improved crop varieties exist, low fertilizer use is a serious constraint to
agricultural productivity growth, averaging 10 to 15 kilograms per hectare. An
important factor is low and unstable domestic production. There has been no
domestic production of fertilizer since the early 2000s, because NAFCON, the
dominant fertilizer producer in Nigeria has been shut down (deininger and squire,
1996). Other issues which affect domestic supply of fertilizers include high
transport costs from port to inland destinations, poor distribution infrastructure, the
absence of capital for private sector participation in distribution, significant
business risks facing fertilizer importers, and inconsistencies in government
policies.
3.2 Land Tenure Insecurity
An important institutional constraint is the absence of a clear title to land. Group
ownership of land in Nigeria has been associated with such problems as limited
tenure security, restrictions on farmers’ mobility, and the inevitable fragmentation
of holdings among future heirs. It may also limit access to formal credit, since the
farmer cannot use land as collateral. This reduces incentives to invest in land
quality maintenance or improvement (aluko, 2010). Because poor farmers cannot
afford alternative farmlands, and do not have customary access to lands not
poverty and custom may constrain farmers’ ability and willingness to mitigate land
degradation, leading to declining productivity.
3.3 Pest and Diseases
Pest and diseases affect fruits and vegetables in the field and subsequently reduce
their shelf lives and affect their appearance which is one important aspect of
horticultural crops (Adejumo, 2003). Fruits and vegetables are vulnerable to
bacterial, viral, fugal and nutritional diseases.
3.4 Inadequate Infrastructures
The necessary infrastructure such as adequate water supplies and transport and
marketing systems is generally lacking in Nigeria, giving producers, processors
and marketers little incentive to expand operations. An inefficient, expensive
transport system adversely affects input/output cost and supply, reducing farmers’
potential income from marketing their products.
SUMMARY
The study revealed that urban horticulture can contribute to economic development of residents in developing nations and beyond. This is evident in the daily earnings accrued to those engaged in the practice. In addition to this are their contributions to the communities economy through employment of staff and payment of their wages/salaries, economic contribution to community development and planting of trees and flowering plants for public use in the environment. Although the area of land used for urban commercial horticultural practice in Lagos, Nigeria seemed to be less than 1.5% of the total land area, its economic advantage is a justification that there is the need to look inward on commercial horticulture in urban areas of lagging regions of the world to cope with global economic recession.
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