This chapter reviews the emergence of the concept of 'farmer-led irrigation development' in the context of sub-Saharan Africa. It outlines a context in which formal irrigation in the region is considered to have under-performed, with consequent concern over lagging agricultural productivity and food security in sub-Saharan Africa. Against this backdrop, there has been a growing recognition of investment in irrigation by small-scale farmers, motivated by opportunities to sell high value vegetables and rice to growing urban populations. The chapter reviews the literature on the phenomenon, briefly presents data from a case study and outlines key challenges and areas of future research.