Understanding the nature of small-scale private irrigation systems in countries like Nigeria, is important. This survey captures relevant information from farmers using irrigation to cultivate four major crops, rice, maize, pepper and okra. The survey focused on two villages in Abaji Area Council within the Federal Capital Territory, because the area has seen the growths of private irrigation recently, but relative to the drier northern Nigeria, these irrigation systems in the more humid areas in Central Nigeria have been understudied. The dataset consist of 178 farmers who irrigated at least one of their plots in 2017 season for growing either rice, maize, pepper or okra, as well as information on various irrigation activities from the largest irrigated plot for each farm household. The information collected covers plot information, irrigation equipment / sources, inputs uses and outputs, irrigation adoption history, and household characteristics.

Samples were selected from the village resident lists, as well as in consultation with the local village representatives. Total of 178 farmers are identified. The sample size is determined such that minimally sufficient samples (30 ~ 50) are obtained for four major crops being irrigated in the area (rice, maize, pepper and okra), from which fairly reliable figures on the nature of irrigation practices for these crops can be obtained.