Ilewa, meaning “our land” in the Yoruba language, is a farm born out of a desire to address the challenge of sourcing fresh high quality vegetables from local markets in Lagos, Nigeria.
This project aims to change the face of agriculture in Nigeria, and overcome infrastructural issues such as roads with choking congestion and lack of cold storage facilities and vehicles, resulting in massive amounts of food spoilage. As most of the food consumed in the city is trucked down either from the northern part of the country or the neighboring countries, Ilewa is a city farm that would overcome these infrastructural issues and allow the city to meet the challenges of feeding an ever-growing population.
Ilewa Existing Site
Bamboo Shade Structure:
Ilewa Site Office Under Construction
Working with ORE Design, Ilewa is a unique solution to urban farming. Utilizing local, reclaimed materials and local labor to realize the modular farm, Ilewa revolutionizes urban agriculture in Lagos, creating a system that is easy to implement and replicate, thereby producing jobs and food quickly. Utilizing empty plots of land around the city that are currently not being used by the owners, Ilewa therefore is envisioned as a modular farm that could easily be disassembled and moved to another site once the owners were ready to use their land. Furthermore, Ilewa seeks to make farming an attractive option to the growing unemployed youths in the city and create a means of sustainable employment.
Ilewa Jute Planter Bag Prototype
Ilewa bamboo Planter Prototype
Client: Moji Swartjes
Area: 1,200 m²
Status: Construction in Progress
Location: Lagos, Nigeria
