Eight lignocellulosic by-products were evaluated as substrates for cultivation of the oyster mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus ( Jacq. ex. fr) Kummer. The yields of mushroom on the different substrates were 183.1, 151.8, 111.5, 87.8, 49.5, 23.3, 13.0 and 0.0 g for composted sawdust of Triplochiton scleroxylon, rice straw, banana leaves, maize stover, corn husk, rice husk, fresh sawdust, and elephant grass, respectively. The biological efficiency (BE) followed the same pattern and ranged from 61.0% for composted sawdust to 0.0% for elephant grass. The yield of mushroom was positively correlated to cellulose ( r(2) =0.6), lignin ( r(2) =0.7) and fibre ( r(2) =0.7) contents of the substrates. Based on the yield and BE of the substrates tested, rice straw appeared to be the best alternate substrate for growing oyster mushrooms.