Survey questionnaires were administered in three locations in Nigeria to gain an insight into cowpea farming practices with emphasis on insect pest control. The objective of the survey was to obtain guidance for the development of integrated pest management (IPM) strategies catering for all categories of cowpea growers. The survey revealed that cowpea as grown at present is mostly as a secondary crop requiring low inputs to boost its production. Therefore, a rational pest control approach should be integrative, locale‐specific and include: (1) educating farmers on control tactics, (2) identifying and developing effective IPM strategies that are low cost and which are scale neutral, and (3) creating an awareness on the necessity for IPM inputs to be readily available and affordable.