Integration of Gis and Multi-Criteria Evaluation for Land Suitability Assessment of Arable Crops in Ondo State, Nigeria

Agriculture plays a vital role in Nigeria’s food security and economy, yet crop productivity depends heavily on land suitability. This study assessed the suitability of land for arable crops in Ondo State using Geographic Information System (GIS) and Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE) techniques. Nineteen (19) parameters, including soil, hydrogeomorphological, climatic, land-use/land-cover, and socioeconomic factors, were integrated. Datasets were obtained from sources such as Sentinel-2 Dynamic World, SRTM DEM, MODIS temperature, CHRS rainfall, ISRIC soils, and OpenStreetMap. The criteria were normalised, reclassified, and weighted using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Weighted overlay analysis was then performed to generate suitability maps for Maize, Cassava, Yams, Plantain, and Vegetables. Results showed clear spatial variations in suitability. Plantain was the most suitable crop in S1 (12.01%). Maize followed with 7.34% in S1. Yam had the highest percentage (29.88%) in S2, indicating widespread suitability across the state. Cassava dominated in S4 (26.52%) but faced more constraints. Vegetables had the least in S1 (6.72%) and the highest in N (11.67%), making them the least suitable. Final outputs were presented as thematic maps to aid visualisation and decision-making. The study concludes that GIS-based land suitability assessment is a reliable tool for optimising arable crop cultivation in Ondo State. It highlighted highly suitable zones and identified limiting factors; the results provide evidence-based guidance for farmers, policymakers, and agricultural planners. This study recommends adopting the generated maps for land allocation, crop planning, and agricultural policy to improve yields and ensure sustainable land use.