Impact of Urban Expansion on Agricultural Land in Minna, Niger State Nigeria

Abstract

Arable agricultural land has been threatened by many factors among which is rapid rate of urbanization. The study assessed the impact of urban expansion on agricultural land towards sustainable land use policy in Minna, Niger State, Nigeria. Remote sensing data provided useful estimations of agricultural land loss on a regional scale. Satellite data of period from 2000-2020 were collected to analyze the extent of land change dynamics in Minna and to determine the impact of changing pattern of urban expansion on agricultural land in Minna. Remote sensing image processing, supervised classification technique using a Support Vector Machine (SVM) classification algorithm was employed based on five land use (Agricultural land, built-up area, bare surface, Natural vegetation, water bodies) classes. The analysis results reveal a decline in agricultural land and increase in the built-up area indicating an encroachment on agricultural land. The result shows a significant modification in land use landcover observed as agricultural lands underwent noticeable decline by 20.816km2 whereas built up area increased substantially by a value of 37.23km2. The land use landcover projection result revealed that 76% of urban expansion will result in 24% of agricultural land loss by year 2030 in Minna. In conclusion, the urban expansion has significant impact on agricultural land loss in the study area. Overcoming urban encroachment into agricultural lands requires adequate policy formulations amenable to sustainable urban planning and development. The results highlight the need for policy makers and synergies between urban and land management authorities, as well as the Ministry of Agriculture to implement policies to protect agricultural land.