1. PR O JE C T 106511
UNDERUTILIZED INDIGENOUS
VEGETABLES FOR FOOD SECURITY AND
LIVELIHOOD RESILIENCE IN NIGERIA
O. Clement Adebooye, PhD. (Ibadan)
Africa Agricultural Science Week, Accra, Ghana
July, 2013

2. NiCanVeg
Project 106511
(Nigeria and Canada Under-utilized Vegetables Project)
Best UIV processing and
preservation
Best UIV processing and
preservation
Hands-on Training of farmers &
Radio campaigns
Hands-on Training of farmers &
Radio campaigns
Cross Border Cooperation to build knowledge and capacity
 Continental: Nigeria and Canada
Inter University: UNIOSUN, UofM, CBU, OAU
Funding Agency: IDRC-CIDA
Other organizations: FADAMA, Germany
Cross Border Cooperation to build knowledge and capacity
 Continental: Nigeria and Canada
Inter University: UNIOSUN, UofM, CBU, OAU
Funding Agency: IDRC-CIDA
Other organizations: FADAMA, Germany
Formation of UIV cooperative
groups and initiating savings culture
Formation of UIV cooperative
groups and initiating savings culture
Women economic empowerment and household food securityWomen economic empowerment and household food security
Optimum seeding density, seeding
method, cutting length, staking option
Breaking seed dormancy
Optimum seeding density, seeding
method, cutting length, staking option
Breaking seed dormancy
The Key
Messages

3. Urban
population
{~35%}
Urban
population
{~35%}
Rural women
and men
farmers.
{~65%}
Rural women
and men
farmers.
{~65%}
Indigenous
vegetables
in the wild
Indigenous
vegetables
in the wild
The Challenge
•Highly cherished and valued
•Gathered from the wild
•Gathered by women
•Not researched
Research
and Policy
Research
and Policy
•Stereotyped to some
elite crops
•Budgetary allocation
never for edible wild
plants
•Resource poor
•Mostly illiterate
•Women sustain several homes
•No link with science

4. Project Objectives
Raise awareness on the nutritional values and usability of under-
utilized vegetables.
Diversify food base and increase income opportunities of the poor
rural population.
Develop best management practices for UIVs to encourage
cultivation and foster genetic resources conservation
Reinforce capacity by training of women farmers and extension
agents, students, research personnel and all other stakeholders in
skill acquisition
Disseminate information to the resource poor women farmers,
scientists, non-governmental organization and government.

5. Producing high value indigenous vegetables for
food and economic security!
The Science in the NiCanVeg concept
Uptake promotion
and scaling up
Gender
mainstreaming in the
value chain of UIVs
Intelligent technology for
resource management
and processing of UIVs
Development of best
package for the UIVs
through on-farm research
Conservation of
genetic resources

6. Farmers are proud and have sense of
belonging, perhaps becoming scientists!
What is innovative?
Extensive and large-
scale training of
farmers and public
advocacy
Formation of farmers
cooperative groups
for financial
sustenance
Field research done on
farmers farms and managed
by FADAMA-FARMER-
RESEARCHER
Integration of NiCanVeg with
the FADAMA, resulting in
Researcher-Government linkage
Sustainable seed
production

7. Where are we working?
Four States in Southwest Nigeria:
Osun, Oyo, Ondo and Ekiti
Two agro-ecologies per State:
Rainforest
Derived savanna
Experimental sites:
Two sites per ecology resulting in 16 sites.

8. Igbagba,
Ogunmo, Tete
atetedaye, Odu,
Ebolo
Concluded Studies
Cutting length
studies
Investigation of
planting spacing
Optimum seeding density and
seeding method
Ugu, Tomati elejo
Woorowo
Breaking of
seed
dormancy
Igbagba
Training of
Women and
farmers
Food values
analyses
Baseline
survey

9. Vegetable Seasons Total
carotenoid
Total
flavonoids
Total
Phenolics
Total
phytate
Chl a Chl b
mg/100
g fw
CE/100
g fw
GAE/10
0g fw
mg/100g
fw
g/100g fw
T. occidentalis
Rain 26.0 66.1 42.1 3.3 1.31 0.33
Dry 27.5 67.1 44.8 3.2 1.46 0.47
t-test 0.069* 0.559 ns
0.083* 0.423 ns
0.072* 0.10*
S. macrocarpon
Rain 36.8 50.9 65.1 2.2 1.44 0.48
Dry 39.6 51.8 68.1 2.2 1.55 0.52
t-test 0.189ns
0.566 ns
0.085* 0.423 ns
0.033* 0.020*
S. scabrum
Rain 23.1 45.6 64.5 3.1 1.21 0.35
Dry 22.8 47.5 46.0 3.2 1.31 0.40
t-test 0.398ns
0.223 ns
0.001* 0.199ns
0.013* 0.010*
Nutraceutical profiles of Telfairia occidentalis, Solanum macrocarpon and Solanum
scabrum
Dry season crops contain higher amounts of most nutraceutics. Chl a to Chl b ratio is 4:1 for
ugu and 3:1 for igbagba and ogunmo. Flavonoids highest in ugu while phenolics and
carotenoids are highest in igbagba. Flavonoids level declined sharply in ogunmo during the
dry season. Phytate level is safe for humans.

10. Time series of fortnightly leaf yield of igbagba
across two seeding rates, 16 locations and two
seasons in SW Nigeria
Time series of fortnightly leaf yield of ugu across
three populations, two seasons and16 locations in
SW Nigeria

11. Vegetable *Production cost/6m2
(Naira)
**Revenue/6m2
(Naira) Profit/6m2
(Naira)
Rain season Dry season Rain Season Dry season Rain season Dry season
Igbagba* 1,045 2,120 2,400 4,800 1,355 2,680
Tete 105 210 320 640 215 430
Ugu* 1,250 2,760 5,000 10,000 3,750 7,240
Woorowo 1,160 2,200 4,800 9,600 3,640 7,400
Ebolo 65 130 180 270 115 140
Yanrin 65 130 150 250 85 120
Odu 65 130 180 270 115 140
Ogunmo 65 130 180 270 115 140
Tomati
Elejo
** ** ** ** ** **
Ewuro ** ** ** ** ** **
Summary of production cost, revenue generation and
profit (Naira) of UIVs enterprise in Southwest Nigeria.
Calculations are based on the leaf yields obtained by using Project 106511 best agronomic
methods. Data are not available for Tomati Elejo and Ewuro because of lack of patronage.
*On Ugu and Igbagba farmers realize these revenues fortnightly for a six month period.

12. Summary of findings: Impact on farmers practices
1. The baseline study in 72 locations on 4,600 farmers
showed that 70% of the vegetable producers are women,
and 80% of the processors and marketers are women.
2. There are 553 farmers (336 men and 217 women) directly
involved in on-farm experimentations at 16 locations in the
four States. This figure is 5x higher than 100 farmers being
supported by the federal government of Nigeria.
3. The project which is focused on improving the livelihood
of rural female farmers, has developed improved agronomic
practices such as optimum seeding rates, seeding methods
and harvesting techniques.

13. .
4. Seed treatment is now a routine for farmers since it reduces the
need for spraying the vegetables against insects.
5. Simple technology for breaking seed dormancy for igbagba
which has reduced the germination time from 21-30 days to only
7-9 days. This is a 66% reduction in the time between planting,
to harvest and marketing. This makes growing these vegetable
more attractive for food and income as well as a more cost
effective use of lands and inputs.
6. Farmers now know that woorowo could be grown outside cacao
plantation.
7. Awareness by radio jingles and ongoing training sessions and
information packages describing the agronomy, nutritional and
economic values of these vegetables have created interests all
over southwest Nigeria in respect of UIVs health benefits and
economic potential.

14. Implications
Agronomic package:
Underutilized Indigenous Vegetables and production innovations already developed and
documented as VegNews and fact-sheets publication. UIVs can be economically and
successfully grown under domestic conditions. Optimum cutting length, seeding density
and seeding method already tested and validated.
Gender Empowerment:
• Gender Impact - Poor rural women farmers (over 40% of project participants) have been
empowered through collaborative and participatory demonstrations/training. Cooperative
groups have been formed and savings cultured introduced to farmers and marketers of UIVs
Awareness:
• Social impact is growing rapidly through radio communication(about 3m people are reached
daily via radio), newspaper articles and direct contacts on the need for growing and consuming
locally grown nutritious indigenous vegetables.
• Government of Oyo State use our project sites as visitation sites during farmers training
sessions
Economic potential in the market place:
• Increased income for producers and sellers -
• Incentives for scaling up – rationale for further investing in farming UIVs in SW Nigeria
• Spin-offs for small local agric-businesses to provide inputs (credit, seeds, cuttings,
fertilizers, etc.)

15. Impact of Radio Jingles
• Over 3million Nigerians reached daily on Radio FM 89.5
“Orisun FM, Ile-Ife, Osun State”.
• Over 5 million Nigerians reached weekly on weekly radio
programmes on FM 103.5 and FM 89.5.
• Callers on telephone reach us (~20/week).
• ~3 E-mail contacts/week
• Numerous direct personal contacts.
• The advocacy has spurred Osun and Oyo States
governments to establish indigenous vegetables units in
the Ministry of Agriculture
• Three of our project farmers were recruited by the Oyo
State Government as resource persons at agric training.

16. Farmers Testimonies:
• A group of 18 women vegetable farmers at Akure said, “Thank God
for this project. We now export ugu to Abuja and other States. Our
income has doubled in one year.”
• Farmers at Inisha said, “We got the technology of ugu cultivation
from this project. Now we are making cool money. The market is now
big and demand is higher than supply, no glut at all.”
• Farmer at Akanran said, “Knowledge of igbagba and ugu production
is now a blessing. Our incomes have risen in 2 years. I bought a piece
of land and started my own house. Thanks to the project.”
• Farmer at Osogbo said, “You need to move this project forward by
reaching more States and poor farmers. 2014 is not a good time to
terminate this good work. We want to continue to see the project
scientists. They are great people.”

17. NiCanVeg
Project 106511
(Nigeria and Canada Under-utilized Vegetables Project)
Best UIV processing and
preservation
Best UIV processing and
preservation
Hands-on Training of farmers &
Radio campaigns
Hands-on Training of farmers &
Radio campaigns
Cross Border Cooperation to build knowledge and capacity
 Continental: Nigeria and Canada
Inter University: UNIOSUN, UofM, CBU, OAU
Funding Agency: IDRC-CIDA
Other organizations: FADAMA, Germany
Cross Border Cooperation to build knowledge and capacity
 Continental: Nigeria and Canada
Inter University: UNIOSUN, UofM, CBU, OAU
Funding Agency: IDRC-CIDA
Other organizations: FADAMA, Germany
Formation of UIV cooperative
groups and initiating savings culture
Formation of UIV cooperative
groups and initiating savings culture
Women economic empowerment and household food securityWomen economic empowerment and household food security
Optimum seeding density, seeding
method, cutting length, staking option
Breaking seed dormancy
Optimum seeding density, seeding
method, cutting length, staking option
Breaking seed dormancy
The Key
Messages