The N uptake of maize was assessed on an Alfisol in a sole crop and in an alley cropping system in southwestern Nigeria. Although the application of prunings increased the maize N content in both sole and alley-cropped maize, the N contributed to the maize by the prunings was low, ranging between 4.4 and 23.8 kg ha−1. This was equivalent to 3.2% and 9.407% of the N released during decomposition of the prunings. Application of the prunings increased the grain yields of the sole maize by 38% and the maize yield in the alley-cropped plots by 104%, compared with yields in the corresponding plots where prunings were not applied. The results indicate that part of the N from the prunings was retained in the soil organic-N pool. Maize N, dry weights and grain yields were lowest in the alley-cropped plots where prunings were removed, probably because of competition between the maize and the hedgerow trees.