CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
According to United Nations (UN) statistics, the world’s population almost doubled
in the last four decades, reaching 7.9 billion in 2021 increasing from 3.69 billion in 1970.
This population growth is concentrated in developing countries, particularly in the urban
areas. In fact, urban population of developing countries quadrupled from 680 million in
1970 to 2.56 billion in 2010 and this suggests that over the last 40 years, approximately
two-thirds of the world population growth had occurred in the area. This explosive growth
in world population is thus closely tied to rapid urbanization in developing countries, a
trend that is expected to continue. In 1970, 18.4% of world’s population lived in urban
areas of developing countries. Now the figure is 37.0%. UN predicts that in 2050 - 40 years
from now - more than a half of the world’s population (5.19 billion which is 56.7% of
estimated 9.15 billion) will be living in the cities of developing countries. This means that
over the next 40 years, urban population in such area will grow by roughly 5.5 million a
month - which is just like a new Paris metropolitan area (10.41 million in 2009 according
to UN statistics), is being created every two months.
In recent decades, urban development has increased in Nigeria. The country has
been experiencing relatively high rates of growth both in terms of the increase in the
proportion of total population living in urban areas and the areal expansion of the major
cities: much of this urban growth is due to increased rural-urban migration.
The rapid physical development of urban areas in Nigeria is also associated with
increased industrial and commercial development of national economy. These
developments have resulted to many environment implication which lower the quality of
the urban environment and in turn, the wellbeing of urban residents.
Uneven development occurs when there is unequal distribution of people, resources
and wealth which is fundamental characteristics of built environment. Uneven
development is evident at the global, regional, national and urban scales.
Urban growth is the rate which the population, land area or significant land use
increases. It can also be defined as the growth of metropolitan areas or cities. Urban growth
is therefore, utilized as an indicator for a country’s and area’s development as well as

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economic condition. The growth of urban areas is often influenced by certain factors such
as surplus resources, development of infrastructure, commercialization, education and
mining among others.
The environmental implications of urban expansion are far beyond the reach for urban
areas themselves. The environmental implication accompanied with environmental
problems associated with urban areas can be varied. Associated with the main problems
which are urban sprawl, slum creation, inadequacy of infrastructures and social services,
poor sanitary environment, traffic congestion, security challenges, weak administrative
structures for physical planning and management, multiplicity of planning agencies,
uncontrolled intensification of land use at city core, unplanned suburbs and pollution.
In view of the above, this paper will assess the effects of uneven development and
environmental implications on the environment in Offa LGA, Kwara State. This is with a
view to making recommendations that might provide the road map to addressing the
situation
1.2 Statement of problem
In recent decades, urban development has increased in Nigeria. The country has
been experiencing relatively high rates of growth both in terms of increase in the
proportion of the total population living in urban area and areal expansion of the major
cities.
Chime 2012 reviewed environmental problem in Nigeria which showed that human
interaction played a role in environment degradation due to varieties of activates carried
out on the environment. Adedeji et al 2010 studied urban environmental problems in
Nigeria. He identified different factors and their effects on the environment, economy etc.
Izeon 1989 assessed urban development and the environment in Port Harcourt,
Nigeria. The study noted environmental problem to be complex and multidimensional due
to rapid population growth increased in industrial and commercial activities and
ineffective urban planning which can worsen the underdevelopment nature of the nation’s
economy and affect the he study noted environmental problem to be complex and
multidimensional due to rapid population growth increased in industrial and commercial
activities and ineffective urban planning which can worsen the underdevelopment nature
of the nation’s economy and affect the wide development control of the area.

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 Opines that urbanization brought varying degree of problem which ranges from
economies to housing to sociocultural and so on which affect the residents of urban
centres.
Several studies have sought to define the environmental problems of cities in
Nigeria and their solutions. The highlighted studies focused primarily on the causes and
effect in urban environmental Port Harcourt and Nigeria as a whole but did not highlight
effect of uneven development in Offa Local Government Area in Kwara State. This study
will therefore focus on the environmental implications of uneven development in Offa Local
Government Area, Kwara State analyzing the causes and effects. The understanding of the
relationships will serve as the basis for formulating approaches in ameliorating the effects
in order to have healthy and even urban environment.
1.3 Research Questions
 What are the types of human activities in your area?
 How developed is your area?
 What are the types and causes of environmental implications in your area?
 What are the effects of environmental implications in your area?
1.4 Aim of the study
This study is aimed assessing uneven development and its implications on the
environment in Offa Local Government Area with a view to proposing planning approaches
on ameliorating the effects in the study area.
1.5 Objectives of the study
The set objectives to achieve the above stated aim of the study are to;
 examine the types of human activities in the study area,
 assess the mode of development and growth rate of the study area,
 identify the types and causes of urban environmental implications in the study area,
 analyze the effect of environmental implication on the development of the study
area and
 summarize, recommend and propose appropriate planning approaches for
government and stakeholders towards ameliorating the effect in the study area.

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1.6 Research Hypothesis
H1 – The mode of development and growth rate have great influence on the effect of
environmental implication on the development of the study area.

Ho - The mode of development and growth rate have no influence on the effect of
environmental implication on the development of the study area.

1.7 Significance of the study

This study will be of great benefit to the people living in the neighbourhoods. The
information will help to support the health, wellbeing and the quality of life of people who
live and work in them. The study will propose an approach which is planned, designed and
well managed to detract from the study area uneven development and its implications on
the environment. The physical characteristics that contribute to even development of
urban centres include land use, built form, quality and conservation of public spaces and
natural environments, efficiency of transport networks, accessibility to work, education,
health and community services and social and recreational opportunities.
Again, if the recommendations and suggestions of this study will be sincerely and
adherently pursed, it will reduce to the barest minimum, the adverse effect of uneven
development. Worthy to mention is the fact that when the development becomes even and
effective and efficient in planning practices, it will serve as an avenue to foreign investors
to bring in foreign companies and will open job opportunities which will be beneficial to
both government and community as a whole.
Academically, findings of this study will serve as a platform for other research
works and add to knowledge of scholars/academicians whom will in turn impact on the
students and future assignment of state or national course.

1.8 Scope and Limitation of the study

The study is restricted to Offa Local Government Area, Kwara State. The study will be
covering the twelve political wards in Offa Local Government. The findings will focus on the
environmental implications of uneven development, in other to proffer ways in which the
development in the study area will be even for dwellers.

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1.9 Contribution to planning knowledge
Urban planning is an important source of development and a tool for reducing
inequality. It uses natural systems and the built environment to promote physical,
economic and social well-being which deals with fixed assets, such as water and land, or
expensive capital assets, like transportation or communications infrastructure. Urban and
regional planning ensures that settlements systems work efficiently, promote sustainable
economic growth and improve public health and safety, encourage different types of
housing and commerce determine where to build new roadways, how to redevelop existing
communities or business districts and preservation of scarce natural resources.
This study contributes to planning knowledge through involving all the relevant
stakeholders to exchange their knowledge and interests in the planning process. The
collaborative planning includes three important aspects which are Stakeholders
participation, Community involvement and knowledge exchange.
Collaborative planning will be applied in events related to community safety and
nature and landscape protection. The collaborative planning will be a good approach to
involve all the stakeholders to generate practical knowledge and create specific solutions
for effective even development of urban areas.

1.10 Study Area

Offa Local Government Area is located in Kwara State, North-Central Nigeria on
latitudes 8o12’N-8o70’N and longitudes 4o40’E-4o70’E with a population of about 150,000
inhabitants. Offa Local Government Area is centrally located in the midst and middle of
many neighboring towns like Erin Ile in the south, Ijagbo in the north, Igosun and Ipee in
the east and Ilemona, Irra, Ikotun and Ojoku in the west.
Offa local Government Area consists of villages like Igboidun, Pandoro, Ajelawan,
Ajegunle, Eleshin Funfun, Ogbondoroko, Kanmonu, Alayin etc and Offa as a central city
which house the headquarter og Offa Local Government and serves as the administrative
city to the neighbouring villages and towns

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Fig 1: Map of the study area

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 CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
2.1 Literature review
Urbanization in Nigeria was a thing of joy in the early of Nigerian independence in
1960s. Until the late 1970s, when the oil boom and the operation of ports in some parts of
the country, accompanied with physical developments, led to a massive movement of
populace from the countryside to the cities, and various problems began to emerge in cities
like crimes, unemployment, insecurity, poverty and slums among other problems.
Extensive development being a feature of the 19th and 20th centuries, with
concentration of economic and administrative decision-making in Lagos, Ibadan, Kaduna,
Jos, and Enugu, and high degree of specialization and larger population associated with
greater specialization of goods and services. Projections suggest that the number of people
living in Nigerian urban centres will reach 100 million by 2020. Although the urban
population growth rate declined from 5.7% in 1985 to the rate of 4.0% in 1994
(Onokerhoraye and Omuta, 1994), but the rate increased to 5.8% in 2004 (Agbola, 2004).
Urban centres with poor planning are diseased by such infections as slum housing
conditions, limited coverage of urban services, unreliable service provision, general
environmental deterioration, confused transport systems, incessant flooding and fire
disasters (Egunjobi, 1999 and, Adetunji et al, 2013). Planning which takes place at various
spatial levels can help to minimize the impact of urbanization on the environment. As
Egunjobi (1999) argues, planning and management are twin requisites for controlling the
growth of urbanization and achieving good quality of life for urban dwellers, both
permanent and temporary. Egunjobi (1999) believes that, urbanization and environmental
problems in Nigeria are consequences of irresponsible political leadership. From the point
of view of Egunjobi (1999), Nigerian government should wake from her slumber and
endeavor to always put round pegs in round holes, and not in squared holes. Many of the
political leaders especially at the Federal level do not have professional experience in
relation to the portfolios given to them.
Conversely, the one of major factor that brings about various problems that usually
result from urbanization is rural-urban drift especially in the developing countries. At a
point, migration from countryside to urban centres makes carrying capacity of the urban

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centres to be exceeded, which also results to poor housing conditions, congestion,
pollution, unemployment, over stressed facilities and services, as well as crimes among
other problems.
2.2 Conceptual Framework
The concept of environment (Singh, 2003) has been viewed from various perspectives
and defined in different ways. The variety of definitions and conceptions of environment is
closely linked to the fact that the study of environment is multi-disciplinary, and thus each
discipline tends to develop and adopt definition(s) in line with its interest. This multiplicity
of definitions, concepts and usage of the term in various disciplines was clearly captured by
Porteous (1977:139) when he stated that:
“the multiplicity of the usage and concept of the term environment have resulted
in a variety of adjectival forms which include social environment, molar
environment, physical environment, home environment, psychological
environment, behavioural environment, geographical environment” (Porteous,
1977)
For instance, Bain (1994), a sociologist defined environment as all the external and
non-personal conditions and influences that affect the welfare of a people in a given area.
Hagget, a geographer, on the other hand, defined environment as “the sum total of all
conditions that surround man at any point on the earth’s surface” (Efobi, 1994), while the
Federal Environmental Protection Agency in Nigeria (FEPA) stated that the environment
includes water, air, land, plants, animals, and human beings living therein, and the inter-
relationships that exist among them (FEPA, 1989). However, a more comprehensive and
all-embracing definition was offered by Keller who defined the environment as:

“total set of circumstances that surrounds an individual or a community, these

circumstances are made up of physical conditions such as air, water, and
climate and landforms; the social and cultural aspects such as ethics, economics,
aesthetics and such circumstances which affects the behaviour of an individual
or a community” (Efobi, 1994)

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 From these definitions, environment can be viewed as all physical, non-physical,
external, living and non-living conditions surrounding an organism or groups of organisms
that determine the existence, development and survival of organism(s) at a particular time.
It encompasses constantly interacting sets of physical (natural and manmade) elements
and non-physical, living and non-living (e.g. social, cultural, religious, political, economic)
systems which determine the characteristic features, growth and sustainability of both the
component elements of the environment and the environment itself (Johnson, 1992;
Muoghalu, 2004).
In Nigeria, for instance, several studies (Rashid, 1982; NEST, 1991; Anih, 2004;
Muoghalu & Okonkwo, 2004; Nduka, 2004; Mba, 2004; Ojeshina, 2005; Bashorun, 2005;
Daramola and Ibem, 2010) have identified many of the environmental problems as having
serious adverse socio-economic and ecological implications. A majority of these problems,
it is argued are traceable to a number of factors which include the colonial antecedent of
most Nigerian cities (Ogbazi, 1992: 13; Ikya, 1993), the high rate of urbanization (NEEDS,
2004), the bad psychological orientation of urban residents on the environment as well as
poor environmental management practices (Meale, 1991; Agukoronye, 2004). Agbola and
Agbola (1997) and Areola (2001) clearly indicated that the spatial structure of Nigerian
cities evolved before, during and after the colonial rule in the country. It is also suggested
by demographic experts that the high rate of urbanization put at 5.3 percent in Nigeria
which is among the highest in the world has the tendency of spurring up environmental
degradation (Goldstein, 1990). Closely related to this is the fact that most urban areas in
Nigeria have grown beyond their environmental carrying capacities and existing
infrastructure (National Population Commission, NPC, 1998). For instance, the 2006
National population census data (FRN, 2007) revealed that most of the urban areas in
Nigeria with small land mass have their capacity to take further population increase
already exhausted or extremely limited. With a population figure of more than 140 million
and land mass of about 924,000 Km2, current estimates indicate that 10 percent of the land
area accommodated 28 percent of the country’s total population (Taylor, 2000). The
implication here is that there is disequilibrium between the population and the
environment, and this has adversely affected the carrying capacity of the urban areas in the

9
country; hence the increasing poor quality of the living conditions and the low liveability
index of urban areas in Nigeria.
Generally, environmental problems are mostly due to developmental processes and
are of local, regional and global effects. These effects are viewed as consequences of human
activities, and are most often harmful on human beings, livelihoods, animal and plant lives
presently or transferred to posterity (Simond, 1994; Acho, 1998; Danish International
Development Agency, 2000; Kjellstrom and Mercado, 2008). This has far reaching
implications on sustainable development, most especially in the face of declining economic
fortunes. Therefore, urban environmental implications will remain dominant for
sustainable development agenda in developing nations in particular and the world in
general in the next few decades.
2.2.1 Definition and Characteristics of Urban Centre
An urban area is characterised by a high population density and vast human
features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or
conurbations. But the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages
and hamlets. Urban areas are created and further developed by the process of urbanization.
Unlike the urban area, a metropolitan area includes not only the urban area but also
satellite cities plus intervening rural land that are socioeconomically connected to the
urban core city typically by employment ties through commuting with the urban core city
being the primary labour market.
In fact, urbanized area agglomerate and grow as the core population/economic
activity centre with a larger metropolitan area. The Nigerian Land Use Act (1978) defined
urban area as the area designated as such by the respective Governor of each state.

2.2.2 The Urban Centre as a System

Every geographical region (continent, country, state, local government) constitutes
a system characterized by a network of urban centres which are operational sub-systems
in a total system. As substantial development centres, urban centres in different zones
interact and operate with a high level of reciprocal interdependency. For example, cities
like Lagos, Ibadan, Benin, Port-Harcourt, Onitsha, Kaduna, Kano, Sokoto, Ilorin, etc are

10
 strategic regions connected by activities that keep the total (national) system going. An
urban centre as a distinctive system, consists of parts (sub-systems) which are functionally
interrelated like organs of the body, which result from environmental factors such as
economic, technical developments, social, demographic and political changes. They
represent the urban mechanisms of mainly the public and private organizations with a
framework of control which certainly determines its overall operation.
In the analysis of urban system, three major structures are recognized: the
economic, social and spatial structure (Basorun, 2005). These are distinct aspects of the
development processes which are generally dependent upon the objective environment. An
appreciation of the extremely complex nature of each aspect will make it easier to
apprehend the extent of their relationship in the global system. Any meaningful urban
policy must recognize all these aspects.

URBAN SYSTEM

Economic Social Structure Spatial Structure

Structure
Formal sector Informal Formal sector Informal
sector sector

Public Large Business Tertiar Small scale

Primary Secondar
servic scale service distribution
activity y activity y
e compan activity
y

Indigenous Expatriat Professional Hawker Petty Market Wholesale Shop

establishmen e firms enterprise traders sellers rs keepe
t rs
Fig.2.1: The Urban System
Source: Bashorun (2005), adopted from Ibrahim et al (2015)
2.2.3 The Environmental Problems and implications of Urban Centres
The environmental problems accompanied with its implications associated with
urban areas can be varied. Attempt is made here to identify and discuss the main problems
which are urban sprawl, slum creation, inadequacy of infrastructures and social services,

11
poor sanitary environment, traffic congestion, security challenges, weak administrative
structures for physical planning and management, multiplicity of planning agencies,
uncontrolled intensification of land use at city core, unplanned suburbs and pollution.
2.2.3.1 Urban Sprawl
The impression has been formed of the city or urban centre as a growth centre of
intense social and economic activities. Abiodun (1985) observed that, housing problem in
Nigerian urban centres is exacerbated by a combination of factors. First, there is the fact
that the bulk of the traditional housing available in our urban centre is mainly in a
dilapidated condition and unsuitable for habitation. Secondly, more houses are needed to
relieve existing over-crowding in many of the Nigerian urban centres. Thirdly, natural
increase within the urban centre themselves demand additional dwelling units to house the
increasing population. Fourthly, rural migration which has assumed greater proportions
during the last few decades, has aggravated the housing needs of urban centres in Nigeria.
In response to the great demand for houses, unplanned and substandard private
housing districts continue to emerge in many towns. This explains why our cities are
characterised by shanty dwellings, squatter settlements or homes, too small to allow for a
decent family life. The tragedy of the situation is that the majority suffer inadequate water
and power supply, waste disposal arrangement and yet, over-crowded by poor
unemployed individuals. Persistent spread of these structures, therefore, over a relatively
large area in an untidy manner is termed urban sprawl. “The growth of slum in developing
countries is an indication of rapid but unplanned urbanization, misallocation of resources
and poor urban management” (Olokesusi, 1987).

2.2.3.2 Slum Creation

Urban sprawl could be likened to slum creation which is a problematic phenomenon
associated with urbanization in continents of high poverty. Today, the problem is peculiar
to cities in Nigeria, where the rural areas are becoming depopulated day-in-out. The most
worrisome aspect of this circumstance is that, the rural population who troop into the city
search for job which do not exist, and for post which in actual sense, they may not be found
worthy to hold. Eventually, they remain unemployed for so long, and in a desperate move
to find shelter at the least possible cost, greater proportion of the population live in the

12
deplorable and unsanitary residential environment. However, there is enough evidence to
conclude that slum creation remains a major feature of the inner city. The situation is
compounded because many of these cities from time lacked master plans, in the form of
policy guide decisions about their physical or land use development.

2.2.3.3 Inadequacy of Infrastructures and Social Services

This represents the unsatisfactory state of affairs in many urban centres. Larger
parts of the housing environment has been rendered unattractive for lack of basic
infrastructures like roads, electricity, water supply, parks and playgrounds, health facilities,
schools and open spaces. Shortages of these facilities on one hand, discourage liveability,
and on the other hand, hamper the operation of government agency.
In Nigeria cities, one of many scenarios is that there is hardly a single dwelling unit
that enjoys regular supply of electricity and potable water. Even, newly developed
neighbourhoods at the periphery exist without roads to service them; let alone the social
amenities. Recreational and health needs of urban citizens are met with difficulties. Yet,
environmental researches provide clear signals that the urban residents perceives these
elements as positive features of the environment; and indices used in accessing the
functional efficiency as well as socio-economic development of human settlement.

2.2.3.4 Poor Sanitary Environment

Sanitation continues to be a central institution in contemporary societies. The
environment in which people live, and how it is organised has profound consequences,
both for the society and individuals. Previous discussions about the urban area have
continually justified its existence through conglomeration of heterogeneous individuals,
and generated perspectives that can enhance our understanding of it as an industrial
society. In functionalist accounts and explanations, the city could be seen as an interrelated
entity, analogous to a biological system, where each part (i.e. residential, commercial,
industrial, educational and transportation) is viewed in terms of impact on the rest of the
system. A lot of problems have been identified in the system, especially concerning
sanitation. In Nigeria, high house occupancy ratio ranging from 4 to 6 persons per room can

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be recorded for cities like Lagos, Ibadan, Ilorin, Offa, Sokoto, Akure, Onitsha, Enugu, Port-
Harcourt et cetera.
In these areas households depend on the crude traditional means of heating such as
the use of saw dust and firewood. Majority of the houses lack toilet facilities, while a
substantial proportion make do with pit latrine. Most of the bathrooms are located outside
the main building without drainages; likewise the roads, and where drainages are
provided; they are constantly blocked by garbage thereby creating swimming ponds for
pigs and ducks, and harbour for mosquitoes, if not flooding. Poor arrangements for refuse
and sewage disposal systems compound the situation as dunghills tend to be used as
conveniences, thus polluting the neighbourhoods. The problem is great in places like Lagos,
Ilorin, Ibadan and Onitsha where uncollected refuse heaps overflow unto several major
roads. Again, the persistent air pollution in terms of vehicular and industrial noise, and
large quantity of smoke and gaseous fumes that are generated (e.g. sulphur fumes) poses
great danger to health.

2.2.3.5 Traffic Congestion

The city as an engine of economic development, and centre of industry, commerce
and administration, functions only with an efficient transportation system. It would be
useful at this stage to establish that a reciprocal relationship exists between transportation
systems and urban land use, as the former determines the intensity and pattern of
activities within the city. The concentration of people and activities in the centres, the
rapidly increasing number and complexity of functions they perform, and the resulting
competition for space, have brought about ever increasing separation between work places
and residential areas (Filani, 1987).
Improvement in income of Nigerians, especially in wages of civil servants has led to
increase in car ownership and automobile transportation in recent time. The Federal, State
and Private Urban Mass Transit Programmes have joined to increase the fleet of vehicles on
Nigerian roads. Added to this is the increasing number of motorcycles and tricycles. As all
these help to reduce the problem of transportation, the concomitant results of traffic
congestion become visible in the urban centres.

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 Traffic congestion is one of the most predominant problems encountered in most
cities of the world. Nigerian cities are no exception (Ogbazi, 1992). Admittedly, people live
at some distances from their respective places of employment and usually make trips on
roads within the city. The schedule of working hours in the country is such that allows for
simultaneous movement around the specific hours. In effect, peak periods are created by
traffic between 7:30am and 9:00am and 4:00pm and 6;00pm during which long queues of
vehicles are found on major corridors of most cities of Nigeria. This suggested that the
coincidence of traffic at these periods is necessitated by the desire of civil servants, traders
and other categories of workers to reach their places of work at the appropriate time and
return home early. Very few urban centres have efficient and reliable public transport
system; the narrowness of the road in most cases limits their capacity and constitutes
constraints on accessibility. With the number of vehicles as well as trips demand from the
central business districts, it is observed that the existing road tend to carry excessive traffic
burden.
It is apparent that majority of roads in the cities are in a severe state of disrepair, as
a result of which there is concentration of urban traffic on the main corridors, which
sometimes may be of longer distance to individual destinations. On-street parking and
activities of street traders or hawkers make the situation worst most often. Progressive
delay in movement in the cities therefore does not only reduce efficiency at work but
increases boredom in transportation and environmental pollution.

2.2.3.6 Security Challenges

Urban security is the quality or condition of being free from danger, damage or
injury. It is a state of protection against debilitating life-threatening events. In urban
centres, such threats can come from these sources – environmental hazards or disasters,
interpersonal violence and social delinquency. All these take place in the context in which
the local government and other government agencies seem to have abdicated their
responsibility to make our cities safe and secure (Presidential Committee on Urban
Development and Housing, 2002). Perhaps the most distressing feature of life in the
present day Nigerian cities is the feeling of helplessness with which most residents

15
approach problems of their safety and security that needs to be resolved at the level of
their local government.
It used to be Odua Peoples’ Congress (OPC) in the South-western states, Movement
for Actualization of Sovereign States of Biafara (MASSOB), Movement for Survival of Ogoni
People (MOSOG) in Niger Delta, Boko Haram in the North and Federal Capital City, Bandits
killing hundreds of people along the north and the north-eastern part of the country,
destroying expensive properties belonging to the public and private individuals and
organizations on daily basis.
Aside these, we also have other militants, armed robbers and burglars that inflict all
sorts of threat on residents at home, place of work, religious sites, markets, motor parks, on
the road and other places within the urban centres. It is very difficult to track down the
elements behind the insurgency.

2.2.3.7 Weak Administrative structures for physical Planning and Management

The most fundamental problem which had badly affected the administration of
physical planning in Nigeria is lack of acceptance of the role of the physical planning in the
way that economic planning has been accepted as a paramount government function
(Onibokun, 1981). Basically, master plans have been identified as means through which
significant improvement could be realized in the land administration and management.
The idea is based on a proposal of mixture of factual circumstances and value
statements, which attempts to capture the key features of appropriate physical
development planning. It initiates what to be planned, developed, administered and
managed, while also articulating and coordinating all major proposals at different points in
time and space, so as to achieve the self-same purpose of the community on her
geographical space (Ilesanmi, 1998). In his view, master plan is a long-range plan, general
in nature, and dealing comprehensively with all significant aspects of the development of
the territories of a city. It is also seen as one of the foremost instruments through which the
city council considers debates and finally agrees upon a coherent, unified set of general,
long-range policies for physical development of a community (Black, 1975; Roberts, 1982
and Ogbazi, 1992).

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 In Nigeria, as in many other developing nations, physical planning is restricted to
town planning activities such as preparation of housing scheme, or layouts; arrangement of
roads, building and structures, recreational areas, a few public utilities and community
facilities, only to achieve a visually attractive environment. In totality, this conception fails
to accord a holistic emphasis to the major factors associated with physical planning in the
urban areas. There is no specific ministry for this activity at the federal level. The Ministry
of Environment is only a multi-function organ of the government. The Department of Urban
and Regional Planning at the state and local levels are not encouraged to carry out this
statutory function (i.e. master plan preparation) as evidenced by the meagre capital or
recurrent allocations to the sector by successive governments. The situation becomes
worse as these centres are still demarcated into two or more local government areas with
different administration structures. For example, the cities of Ibadan, Oyo and Ilorin are
divided into eleven, four and five local government areas respectively.

2.2.3.8 Multiplicity of Planning Agencies

A lot of diversity has been noticed in the attitude of government towards planning in
recent years. For the mere fact that it is faced with so many commitments in the
environment the issue of planning has not been perceived as an isolated phenomenon, but
something that cut across every aspect that affects the entire population at each point in
their life. Since there is no clear-cut demarcation as to who is to do what in terms of
planning, so many ministries are unnecessarily involved in the execution of the same
function in a conflicting manner.
It is common to find many physical development agencies in Nigeria, some of these
are PHCN, Water Corporation, local Planning Authority, Capital Urban Development
Authority, Local Government Authority, Federal and State Environmental protection
Agencies, etc. Each of these is established for particular development activity within the
jurisdiction of Local Government Authority in which the urban centre locates. In serious
struggle and competition for power, the agencies introduced different development plans
that intersect the concept of the other. A typical example is the area earmarked for
industrial neighbourhood by the Urban and Regional Planning Department but later

17
converted to housing estates by the Ministry of Lands and Housing; part of which may still
be required by the Capital Urban Development authority for market establishment.
The planning authority on its own, reserves the ultimate responsibility of
influencing actions taken upon the environment. It happens most times that another agent
of government presents to it a scheme for approval on land, for which a different scheme
had already been prepared. It is therefore common to find overlapping functions in land
administration by various agencies in the urban centres. The problem is in part, a result of
multiplicity of planning agencies, and on the other hand, a product of poor coordination of
planning activities among the bodies. The factors hampering the effectiveness of these
agencies include inadequate enforcement, institutional problems, inadequate funding,
uncoordinated legislation, mismanagement of resources, inadequate trained man-power,
inadequate public awareness and involvement as well as political interference which
distort environmental programmes (Presidential Committee on Urban Development and
Housing, 2002) Generally, there is a lack of coherent administration in the form of a central
committee to harmonize and integrate the various plans of the agencies involved in urban
physical development.

2.2.3.9 Uncontrolled Intensification of Land Use at City Core

It is axiomatic to say that the urban centre represents the hub of economic activities.
The central business district is a major commercial axis incorporating the main market,
wholesales or ware house, banking institutions and professional chambers. It is a
designated business core of high intensity where pressure from interest groups prompts
many more development projects. On accounts of the fact that most of the urban centres
were initially pre-colonial cities which did not undergo proper physical planning from
onset, all new developments or extensions within the core area now constitute
intensification of land use, which indeed, is a major environmental degradation problem in
our cities today.
Until after independence, little or no attention was paid to effects of environment on
health by colonial masters. They looked at all aspects of social conditions, work, housing,
health, recreation and sanitation as irrelevant to their colonial objectives. So, no effort was
made on the organization of settlement. All available spaces were covered with buildings

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without adequate setbacks to roads, airspace and siting of essential community services.
What was peculiar to the city centres then was arbitrary demarcation of family lands, while
houses and compounds were built without reference to any specific system of layout. Even
with the advent of modern techniques, it is absolutely difficult to normalize this wrong.
People have taken the advantage to complicate the physical landscape of the central area.
Even though the majority of the buildings in the area are meant for residential, many are
multi-purposely used especially for residential and commercial activities (Bashorun, 2005).
The phenomenon of illegal rebuilding, partitioning, attachments or building
extensions and new constructions are pervasive throughout the city centres. In addition to
these are some minor structures like kiosks or temporary sheds, all jam-packed along
major roads. The consequence of this is the disorder and spurious development, as well as
creation of extensive high-density growth, which make accessibility and habitation in
greater parts of the central business district difficult.

2.2.3.10 Unplanned Suburbs

No urban area is independent of its suburbs in any part of the world. Both have
complementary functions to perform in the development of the entire region. A review of
the current urban situation in Nigeria indicates that little priority is attached to the
implications of its spatial distribution to the rural hinterlands. When cities fail to give
adequate support to the suburbs, it becomes strangled and reflects a kind of disequilibria in
urban management. The growing failure of these centres usually, is the unfulfilment of the
expectations both of those who live in them, and those who have to depend on them for
services (Mabogunje, 1985).
Planning of the suburbs encircles a number of activities ranging from provision of
welfare facilities such as educational, health and social amenities, to stimulating the
productive capacity of rural populace in terms of expansion of their agricultural and
economic base. Politically, every sphere of human endeavour is dealt with in the plan, in a
way to generate overall solution to perceived problems in the city and the surroundings.
This in itself is a strong potentially beneficial force for the development of the rural
hinterland.

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 Metropolitan centres of developed nations are considered to include the suburban
fringes or rather the non-urban territories. These areas often encompass substantial
amount of rural land. For example, in Japan, a large number of people who live in rural
areas are included within the boundaries of urban areas (Brockerhoff, 2000). The
perception of urban administration in Nigeria for instance is quite different; there is rural-
urban dichotomy. The focus of urban development is purely within the limit of urban
coverage, which in effect increases the wave of rural-urban migration.
Consequent upon high demand for housing in the cities by the low income migrants,
the unplanned temporary residential units at the suburbs are first inhabited. Closely
associated with the congestion of these districts are other environmental problems such as
waste disposal, poor sanitation, shortage of facilities as well as slum creation.

2.2.3.11 Pollution
Environmental pollution can be categorized into three groups. These are air or
atmospheric pollution, aquatic or water pollution and land or surface area pollution. The
World Health Organization (WHO) (1990) defined air pollution as “limited to situation in
which the outer ambient atmosphere contains materials in concentrations which are
harmful to man and his environment”. Man’s activities on the earth surface have largely
degraded the quality of the lower atmosphere.
The growth and development of industries and Urbanization has contributed greatly
to the excess carbon monoxide produced by combustion and other human activities.
Carbon monoxide reacts with the blood vessel and prevents it from taking up oxygen and
the people are suffocated. In Nigeria, several rural towns that had in the past enjoyed fresh
and dry air are currently experiencing air pollution problems (Obajimi, 1998). This is due
to industrialization process and expansion in human activities.
Aquatic or water pollution is the discharge of unwanted biological, chemical and
physical materials into water bodies from man’s environment. The pollutants are usually
chemical, physical and biological substances that affect the natural condition of water. This
incidence is responsible for the wide spread water contamination in most Nigeria cities.
Also solid wastes have equally flooded the water ways in these urban centres.

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 Land surface pollution is the occurrence of unwanted materials or waste on land.
The commonest pollutant on land is the waste products that are often scattered on land
area in the cities. According to Onwioduokit (1998), most environmental problems are due
to the production or consumption of goods whose waste products translate easily into
pollutants. Ayeni (1978) and Sada et al (1988) believed that the emergence of urbanization
is responsible for the rapid accumulation of solid waste. Generally, it would appear that the
growth of urbanization and industrial development coupled with improper wastes
management control have added a great dimension to land area pollution in Nigeria
(Omofonmwan and Osa-Edoh, 2008).

2.2.4 Remedies to the Urban Problems

In the face of various legislations and interventions by government at all levels in the
country, Nigeria’s urban problems still appear intractable. The CIA World Fact book gives
the estimate of Nigerian population as 155,215,573 as at July 2011at a growth rate of
2.75% while about 50% lives in urban centres (Daramola and Ibem, 2010). It was also
estimated that in 25 years, the population will rise to 300 million (UPI, 2012). The effective
management of Nigerian urban environment becomes imperative. There is a great
challenge of restructuring the existing institutional arrangements for urban environmental
management. The following strategies and technologies, which represent new measures
and policy interventions, will enable the entire nation to achieve sustainable growth and
development.

1. Sustainable City Programme

The sustainable city programme is an approach, which seeks to impose some order
of development on Nigerian cities in the 21st century, drawing on the concept of
sustainability. Sustainable development is defined as a “programme to change the process
of economic development so that it ensures a basic quality of life for all people and protect
the ecosystem and community systems that make life possible and worthwhile”
(Okunfulure, 1997).
The people or citizens, the civil society organizations, the government and the
private sectors are crucial stakeholders, which could possibly be brought together to

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harness the innate resources of the people for sustainable urban growth. The partnership
approach to urban development and management is seen as the most effective way of
harmonizing views and evolving lasting solution to urban problems.

2. Environmental Planning and Management

This project is an environmental strategic exercise, which is driven and carried
through the stakeholders themselves, leading to agreed and implementable strategies,
action plans and projects (Busari, 1997and Abumere, 2002). It is a new approach to urban
development and management, still anchored on the concept of partnership, especially
between technocrats (Estate Surveyors, Urban Planners, Architects, Land surveyors,
Quantity Surveyors, Builders, etc) and the inhabitants of a particular environment or city.
Under the process, all the stakeholders in the city must be involved in problem
identification, priority setting, project implementation, fund sourcing and project
maintenance and monitoring (Onibokun, 1997). It is important to note that the functions of
the working group include sensitization, development of demonstration projects,
development of strategies and action plan.

3. Urban Basic Services

The urban basic service is a mechanism adopted by UNICEF for upgrading and
expanding facilities for health and education services as well as alleviating poverty in the
targeted poor communities in the urban areas. The hallmark of the concept is the
integration of infrastructure provision with human settlement development with a view to
reduce the level of urban poverty and entrenching a healthy living environment (Okoko
and Omole, 2002). As a community targeted strategy, it attempts to develop autonomous
urban communities and make services available especially to the disadvantaged through
integrated efforts and resources of both government and non- government organizations.
The UNICEF and Federal Government of Nigeria entered into partnership to provide
Urban Basic Services in six Nigerian urban communities – Lagos, Ibadan, Onitsha, Port-
Harcourt, Kano and Kaduna. These are cities where growth has accentuated environmental
difficulties, especially for the poor at the inner core.

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4. Geographic / land information System
The 21st century is the information age. The overriding priority of the government
of most poor countries is gaining access to accurate or up-to-date data for sustainable
improvement of health, income and living conditions of the poor majority. With GIS,
information about the geography, social and economic conditions, policies and institutions
is readily accessible and planners are able to take sound decisions that will have lasting
positive impact on people’s lives.
The development of GIS is vital for optimising the productive use of a country’s
human and natural resources. It improves governance and empowers the people to
participate in the provision, analysis and presentation of information for the enhancement
of sustainable development.

5. Good Urban Governance

World Bank (1995) defines good governance as “the manner in which power is
exercised in the management of a country’s economic and social resources for
development” (Kinuthia-Njega, 1999).
Good Urban Governance according to UN-Habitat (2000) is characterised by the
following:
- Sustainability in all dimensions of urban development,
- Decentralization of authority and resources,
- Equity of access to decision-making process by equal representation of men, women
and the poor, especially reflecting their needs and priorities,
- Efficiency in the administration and delivery of public services and in promoting
economic development through sound financial and cost effective management of
revenue sources and expenditure,
- Transparency and accountability of decision makers and all stakeholders, providing
universal access to and ensuring free flow of information,
- Applying laws in a transparent and predictable manner and ensuring high standards
of professional and personal integrity,
- Empowering the citizens to participate effectively in decision making, and
- Ensuring security of individuals and their living environment.

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6. Enabling Approach
The enabling approach required for sustainability varies between projects. It depends
upon the nature of the projects, its environmental context and the consequent arrangement
of strategies adopted. The approach represents a realistic coordinated plan for good urban
governance, emerging as a result for strong demand for representative democracy. The
enabling approach is characterised by several strategies:
- Decentralization of responsibilities and resources to local authorities based on the
principle of transparency, inclusion, subsidiary, partnership and accountability,
- Encouraging and participation of civil society particularly women in the design,
implementation and monitoring of local priorities using a wide variety of
partnership including the private sector to achieve common objectives,
- Building capacities of all actors to contribute fully to decision making and urban
development process, and
- Facilitating networking at all levels and taking full advantage of modern information
and telecommunication technologies to support good urban governance and
sustainable urban development (Adebayo, 2002)

7. Advocacy Planning
The interest in the role of advocacy in planning has been generated by the current
efforts of planners to reduce barriers of politics in the development of regions, cities and
neighbourhoods. The human community, by nature, comprises different groups of ethnic,
religious, social and economic and each constituting a political or interest group whose
views are of great importance in planning.
The approach sees the planner as a pluralistic. That is, one who must act closely to
that which is desired by the government and the concerned groups in quest of lasting
solution to environmental problems. It maintains that the sustainable development
programme should represent the positions and interests of the multiple segments of the
society in a democratic setting. The planner as an advocate of the interest of the
government and the public therefore, should initiate as many alternative plans as would
accommodate the views of both parties and present to the public for a logical conclusion.

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8. Urban Renewal and Slum Upgrading
The problems of urban renewal and slum upgrading have their origin in colonial
urban planning which was based on the principles of segregation and which separated
Nigerian cities into “European” and “African” areas. The former was fairly protected
because of its layouts and substantial buildings; the latter was left in its pre-industrial and
pre-colonial traditional condition. Colonial rural-urban migration which brought Nigerian
from other parts of the country to particular cities was also subjected to the principle of
segregation. Thus Nigerian cities developed to have two types of slum areas: the inner city
traditional centres and the centres of migrants. To date, government response to problem
of urban renewal and slum upgrading has been minimal.
The goal of urban renewal is to renew the slum areas of the cities such that the
standards of housing and urban infrastructural services are brought to an acceptable level.
It is aimed to pursue programmes of upgrading shanty towns and squatter settlements and
also integrate the activities of settlement upgrading with the overall development strategy
of individual cities through inclusive programme with a view to enhancing employment
opportunities and the income of the urban poor.

9. Security
The goal and objective of urban security should be to make Nigerian cities a safe and
secure place for all residents; and to make security issues less a matter of law enforcement
agencies of the central government. It should be of more concern and the responsibility of
accountable local government, the private sector and civil society in each urban centre.
The provision of safety and security services can be professionalised through
emphasizing the aspects in training of doctors, and paramedics for both curative and
preventive health care, environmental scientists and engineers as well as personnel
engaged in law and order in our cities and the country at large. The number, quality and
equipment standards of the Nigerian Police should be increased significantly to meet the
international standard of one policeman per thousand inhabitants.

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10. Institutional Framework
It is observed that urban development is a multi-faceted process involving the
combined activities of many institutions and agencies, and what many of the institutions
deed for orderly and progressive development of urban centres in Nigeria are still not yet
in place. The participation of all stakeholders must be ensured. They include all tiers of
government, organized private sector, individual, community, security agencies and non-
governmental organizations in urban development. The other institutions like capital
market as instrument for financing urban development is hardly in place. Similarly, real
estate developing companies are few and far behind because of lack of access to large tract
of land for sizeable and profitable estate development.

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 CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research Methodology
Research design is the overall strategy that is use to integrate the different components of
the study in a coherent and logical way. It constitutes the blueprint for the collection,
measurement and analysis. For the course of this research, Survey research design was
used.

3.1.1 Survey Research Design

Survey methodology as a scientific field seeks to identify principles about the sample
design, data collection instruments, statistical adjustment of data, data processing and final
data analysis that can create systematic and random survey error. It also makes use of
standardized questions where reliability of the items is determined. Further, the findings of
the study can be generalized.

3.1.2 Sampling Size and Sample Procedure

The sample technique that will be used in this research work is the simple random
sampling technique which is pick at randomly and without biased in selecting 10% from
the total population of the research study.
Sample size is the target population that is the accessible population. It will be achieved
using simple random sample by selecting percentage from the total population. The sample
selected will be the inhabitants (i.e both residents and non – residents of the study).

In the study area, there twelve (12) political wards which are; Balogun ward, Igboidun
ward, Essa central A ward, Essa central B ward, Essa central C ward, Ojomu Central A ward,
Ojomu Central B ward, Ojomu north/northwest ward, Ojomu south-east ward, Shawo
Central ward, Shawo south-west ward and Shawo south-east ward.
The total projected population of all the wards according to the 2017 projection is 137,000.
For the purpose of this study, the 2017 projected population will be projected to 2021 in
order to get Sample size.
The population projection formula to use is Pt= Pn (1 + r /100) n

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Where Pt = projected population
Pn = initial population
r =growth rate
n =number of years

3.1.3 Data Types and Sources

Data for this research will be both primary data and secondary data. Primary data will be
obtained through Questionnaire administration, Field observation and Oral interview while
Secondary data will be from Internet search, Journals, Textbooks etc.

3.1.4 Instrumentation of Data Collection

The major instrument to be used is Questionnaire.

3.1.5 Method of Data Collection

The mode of collecting data will be through Questionnaire administration, Field
observation, Oral interview, Internet search, Journals and Textbooks. Questionnaire will be
well structured and it will be a close-ended questionnaire which will be administered to
the public to seek for their opinion.
Field observation will be the researcher perspective on the course of study. Oral interview
will be employed to seek the public opinion by face to face interview. Internet materials,
journals and Textbooks will be used to seek for some other researchers’ perspective on the
related research work.

3.1.6 Method of Data Analysis

The analytical technique to be used for the analysis of the research work will be through
SPSS and it will include descriptive statistics which comprises of tables, frequencies and
charts.

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