Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
http://dx.doi.org/10.25673/108862
Title: | Impacts of land use and land cover changes on migration and food security of North Central Region, Nigeria |
Author(s): | Opeyemi Okeleye, Sunday Aimiosino Okhimamhe, Appollonia Sanfo, Safietou Fürst, Christine ![]() |
Issue Date: | 2023 |
Type: | Article |
Language: | English |
Abstract: | Food security is adversely affected by challenges posed by changes in land use and land cover (LULC). LULC change impacts ecosystem functions and services, leading to migration of people, particularly rural dwellers. This paper uses multispectral satellite remote sensing, net migration data, household survey, stakeholders’ meetings, Focus Group Discussions (FGD), expert interviews and yields and estimated land mass of maize, rice, groundnut, cassava, and yam to assess the extent of LULC in Niger, Kwara, and Benue states of North Central Region of Nigeria and their relevance for migration and food security. Remote sensing data for 1990, 2000, 2013, and 2020 were extracted from Landsat imageries to obtain LULC change. Household survey was conducted to validate the data obtained from Landsat imageries. The results of LULC between 1990 and 2020 show that most of the vegetation, agricultural land, and water body areas in Kwara and Benue States have been converted to built-up areas and barren land, while an increase in agricultural land and built-up areas was observed in Niger State. Our household survey, stakeholders’ meetings, and interviews showed that there was a continuous massive migration of people, particularly young farmers, to cities leaving most of the existing agricultural lands uncultivated. This was due to the losses in agricultural land and conversion of some of the other LULC classes to barren land. We conclude that if this permanent migration remains uncontrolled, it will have significantly negative future impacts on food security of Nigeria. It is recommended that the government and its sub-ordinary administrative entities invest in more reliable infrastructure and attractive living environment for the rural dwellers to reduce the rate of rural-urban migration in the study areas. |
URI: | https://opendata.uni-halle.de//handle/1981185920/110817 http://dx.doi.org/10.25673/108862 |
Open Access: | ![]() |
License: | ![]() |
Journal Title: | Land |
Publisher: | MDPI |
Publisher Place: | Basel |
Volume: | 12 |
Issue: | 5 |
Original Publication: | 10.3390/land12051012 |
Page Start: | 1 |
Page End: | 23 |
Appears in Collections: | Open Access Publikationen der MLU |
Files in This Item:
File | Description | Size | Format | |
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land-12-01012-v3.pdf | 8.51 MB | Adobe PDF | ![]() View/Open |