PROPOSED TAKUM CITY

PARK
TAKUM, TARABA STATE
TOWARDS PROMOTING TOURISM PLANNING AND
DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

A TERM PAPER FOR ARC 615

(TOURISM PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT)

DESIGNED AND COMPILED BY

ADOKURU CHRISTOPHER AMASOR

M.TECH/SET/2006/1570

600 LEVEL
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF
TECHNOLOGY MINNA, NIGER
STATE.
MAY 2008

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

1.1 INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................
.....2

1.2 TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA...………………..………….………………….……

…...2

1.3 INSTITUTIONS FOR TOURISM DEVELOPMENT.........…………… ….…………..

…....……..2

1.4 BENEFITS OF TOURISM........................................................................................4

CHAPTER TWO
2.0 DESIGN AREA: TARABA STATE...............................................................................5

2.1 TOURISM IN TARABA STATE…………….………………………………………………….........

5

2.2 TOURIST SITES……………………………..……………………….…………………..………....7

2.2 TAKUM TOWN..……………………………..……………………….…………………..………....7

CHAPTER THREE
3.0 DESIGN

3.1 PLANNING PROCESS....…………………….…………………………………………………......

9

3.2 STANDARDS IN RECREATIONAL AREAS..……………………………………………..……......

10

3.1 SITE LOCATION…....................………….………………………………………………….....11

3.2 RECREATIONAL FACILITIES..................……………………………………………..………...

13

3.1 SITE PLANNING LAYOUT…………………….………………………………………………….....

14

3.2 3D VIEWS OF PROPOSAL....................……………………………………………..………...

18

CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................19

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 CHAPTER ONE
1.1 INTRODUCTION
The responsibility for providing recreation facilities rests mainly
with municipal recreation authorities. To effectively meet this
responsibility, public officials and park designers must be
constantly aware of shifting recreation interests, social changes
within communities, new methods for coping with change and the
increasing knowledge that has been generated through research,
special studies and reports. This proposal has been prepared with
these concerns in mind.

1.2 TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

The Federal Government of Nigeria in its determined efforts to
develop and promote tourism into an economically viable
industry had in 1991 evolved a tourism policy. The main thrust of
the policy is to make Nigeria a prominent tourism destination in
Africa, generate foreign exchange, encourage even development,
promote tourism-based rural enterprises, generate employment,
accelerate rural-urban integration and foster socio-cultural unity
among the various regions of the country through the promotion
of domestic and international tourism. It also aims at encouraging
active private sector participation in tourism development.

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1.3 INSTITUTIONS FOR TOURISM DEVELOPMENT
The following Institutional framework has been put in place to
enhance effective execution of the tourism policy:

• The Federal Ministry of Commerce and Tourism assumes full

responsibility for policy initiation and monitoring;
maintaining link with the state governments on funding and
monitoring of nation-wide tourism infrastructure; and
relating with international tourism agencies.
• State ministries of Commerce and Tourism implement
policies and directives from the Federal Ministry of
Commerce and Tourism and initiate projects for tourism
development on the states.
• National Council on Commerce and Tourism, chaired by the
Federal Minister of Commerce and Tourism, insures the co-
ordination of national planning and development of tourism
in the federation. It is an annual forum for discussing and
perfecting modalities for tourism management.
• The Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) is
the apex tourism body responsible for promoting, marketing
and disseminating information on the industry locally and
internationally, through publication of hand books,
brochures and general guidelines for the operation of the
industry. It collaborates with the private sector as well as
other tiers of government in implementing policy directives
and executing tourism projects. It co-ordinates the activities
of organized private sector tourism associations and
practitioners.

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 • State tourism boards are to identify, preserve, protect and
develop tourism assets and resources within the states.
• Local government tourism committees locate and identify
potential tourist attractions in their areas, serve as
information centres and provide tour guides, preserve and
maintain monuments and museums in their areas of
jurisdiction.

FIG 1.1 MAP OF NIGERIA SHOWING ALL THE 36 STATES AND THE F.C.T.

1.4 BENEFITS OF TOURISM

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Tourism has several benefits to the people and also to the
economy; some of these benefits are;
(a)It helps to boost tourism.
(b)It helps in safe guarding the environment.
(c)It prevents flood damages.
(d)It helps to preserve and protect lands, farmlands and
ranches.
(e) It attracts investments.

CHAPTER TWO
2.0 DESIGN AREA: TARABA STATE
Taraba is a state of Nigeria, named after the Taraba River which
traverses the southern part of the state. Taraba's capital is
Jalingo. The state was created out of the former Gongola State on
27th August 1991, by the Military Government of General Ibrahim
Babangida. Taraba state was bounded in the West by Plateau
State and Benue states and on the eastern border by the
Republic of Cameroon.
GEOGRAPHY
Taraba State is bounded in the west by Plateau and Benue States
and on the east by the Cameroon. Taraba has sixteen Local
Government Areas, which are governed by elected chairmen.
They are as follows: Ardo Kola, Bali, Donga, Gashaka, Gassol, Ibi,
Jalingo, Karin Lamido, Kurmi, Lau, Sardauna, Takum, Ussa,
Wukari, Yoro, and Zing.

Taraba State lies largely within the middle of Nigeria and consists
of undulating landscape dotted with a few mountainous features.

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These include the scenic and prominent Mambilla Plateau. The
state lies largely within the tropical zone and has a vegetation of
low forest in the southern part and grassland in the northern part.
The Mambilla Plateau with an altitude of 1,800 meters (6000 ft)
above sea level has a temperate climate all year round.

2.1 TOURISM IN TARABA STATE

The government has made concerted efforts to improve areas of
tourist attractions like Mambilla Tourist Center, Gumpti Park and
game reserve in Gashaka; and the Nwunyu Fishing festival in Ibi,
which is usually held in April of each year where activities such as
canoe racing, swimming competition and cultural dances are
held. Other festivals are Purma of the Chamba in Donga, Takum
and Bali, the Puje of Jukuns, Kuchecheb of Kutebs in Takum and
Ussa, Kati of the Mambilla and host of others. Taraba is called
"Nature's gift to the nation" as the state is rich and have many
ethnic groups, including Chamba, Mumuyes, Mambila, Wurkums,
Fulanis, Jukun, Jenjo,Kuteb, Ichen,Tiv and Ndoro.

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FIG 2.1 LOCATIONAL MAP OF TARABA STATE SHOWING MAJOR TOWNS.

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FIG 2.2 MAP OF TARABA STATE SHOWING ALL THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

2.2 TOURIST SITES

Taraba State is blessed with several tourist sites. The areas of
tourist attractions include the following:
The Mambilla Tourist Centre, which comprises mountain chains of
Adamawa, Obudu; Shebshi and Alantika.

• Gashaka Games Reserve,

• The mysterious rock formations at Kpambo and
• Marmara pond, Wukari.

2.3 TAKUM TOWN

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Takum town is situated in Taraba State, Nigeria; its geographical
coordinates are 7° 16' 0" North, 9° 59' 0" East. Takum is one of
the major towns in Taraba State. The major tribes include; Jukun,
Kuteb, Mumuye, Tiv,etc. Takum has a population of about 24 822
people (According to the 2006 population census).

FIG 2.3 SATELITE IMAGERY SHOWING TAKUM WITH OTHER SURROUNDING

TOWNS.

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 CHAPTER THREE
3.1 THE PLANNING PROCESS
Each municipality, large or small, needs a recreation plan. It is
often a part of the Official Plan for the municipality. When it is, the
citizens have not only the acceptance by council for the policies
stated but the protection of The Planning Act that no public action
will be taken contrary to that policy. In addition, the statement
may be used so that residential development or redevelopment
will provide parkland, open space or cash-in-lieu of this land.

The incentive of additional land resources should not be the only

motivation for planning because it facilitates:

• decisions about future financial requirements, staff

additions and land acquisitions
• coordination of all recreation programs and services, i.e.
public, private and commercial
• communication with citizens to determine their
expectations, and to encourage their involvement and
participation
• recognition of the recreation potential within the
community, thus providing a wider range of opportunities
• cooperation among recreation authorities, local developers,
institutions, private agencies and community organizations
• improvement of recreation experiences
• facilities used to their full capacity.

Planning for recreation facilities involves much more than

applying recommended standards. It requires, in fact, the
development of a set of standards that are sensitive to the
requirements of each specific community. No one approach is
effective for every community. The approach will depend on the
size and stage of development of the community, available
resources (financial, personnel and time), the philosophy and

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sophistication of the authority doing the planning and the political
climate of the community.

There are five approaches that may be used:

• planning buildings or structures, such as pools, arenas or

tennis courts, on a short-term basis
• planning parks and open space based on current need
• a combination of these two -- short-term recreation facility
planning
• comprehensive planning for recreation facilities, which
includes capital budget, scheduling, staff requirements,
operational costs -- all staged over five, ten or 20 years
• integrated or systems planning -- a multiple approach
requiring the integration of the services provided by all city
departments, i.e. public works, housing, education, planning
and recreation

The first four of these approaches to planning are usually carried

out directly by a recreation authority or department. Of this
group, comprehensive planning is best because it takes all facets
of the operation into consideration and automatically establishes
realistic priorities.

Systems planning, a complex and difficult procedure, requires the

involvement and cooperation of all municipal departments. Each
department must consider the function of all other departments
and how they inter-relate.

For the purpose of this proposal I propose the use of the

comprehensive planning scheme.

3.2 TYPES OF OPEN SPACE IN A RECREATION SYSTEM

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The various types of open spaces in a recreation system is been
shown in the table below.
Table 1: Types of Open Space in a Recreation System
Orientation Function
Home oriented Should met aesthetic qualities and
space accommodate informal activities of an
active and passive nature, i.e. sitting,
reading, gardening, sunning, children’s
play and family activity
Home cluster or Especially important in high density
sub- areas, providing visual relief and
neighbourhood aesthetic qualities for similar activities to
common space those mentioned above, as well as
meeting areas for small informal groups,
walking, jogging and dog walking
Neighbourhood Should accommodate neighbourhood
space interest preferences; may include sports
areas for minor leagues, outdoor skating
rinks, water play as well as special
events and informal passive activities
Community Should accommodate social, cultural,
space educational and physical activities of
particular interest to the community;
multi-purpose, year round, day/night
activities; low level competitive sports
with limited spectator space
City-wide or Should provide specialized facilities for
urban space the sue of wide segment of populations;
will accommodate the preservation of
unique historical, cultural or natural
areas
Regional space Specialized areas for conservation and
preservation of naturalized resources;
usually involves more time-consuming
activities, i.e. day-long picnics and
family camping
Source: Guidelines for Developing Public Recreation Facility Standards (2000)
3.3 RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
In the proposed park, several facilities would be provided for use
by the visitors, these include;
(a) Security Posts.
(b) Administrative Offices.
Space, Design & Service Area
Varies according to housing type;
immediately adjacent or within 500 feet
of each dwelling unit
Must be visually accessible; varies from
500 square feet to 2 acres; designed to be
as flexible as possible; will serve and
area of 100 yards to ¼ mile radius
Space should be associated with an
elementary school; varies from 4 to 20
acres; will serve 5,000 people within an
area of ¼ to ½ mile radius
Space should be associated with a
secondary school; varies from 15 to 20
acres; will serve several neighbourhoods
or 15,000 to 25,000 people within a
radius to ½ to 1 ½ mils; accessible by
walking, cycling and public transit
Parks can be 25 to 200 acres; accessible
to all residents by private and public
transportation; should not exceed ½ hour
driving time; should be linked to other
open space
Up to 500 acres or more, serving two or
more municipalities; if possible
accessible by pubic transportation; within
20 miles or 1 hour driving of high
density areas
Example
Front and back yards, driveways,
sidewalk, porch, balconies, workshops,
play rooms, recreation rooms
Vacant lots, cul-de-sacs, boulevards, green
belts, walkways, trails, play lots, rest
areas, vest-pocket parks, parkettes
Neighbourhood parks or park-school
combinations play fields for baseball,
soccer and football; adventure
playgrounds, wading pools,
neighbourhood centres
Community park or park-school
combinations; facilities for playgrounds,
recreation centre, meeting rooms and
library; track and field areas, sports fields,
arena and swimming pool
Major city parks and areas left in their
natural state; beaches, trails, and picnic
areas; fair grounds, civic centres and
major sports facilities
Conservation areas, botanical gardens,
regional and provincial parks; wild life
sanctuaries and naturalized reserves;
scenic drives and waterway systems; air
fields, ski areas, zoos and museums
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(c) Snack Shops.
(d) Swimming Pool.
(e) Pool House.
(f) Parking Lots.
(g) Picnic Areas.
(h) Fountain.
(i) Football Pitch.
(j) Basket-ball Court.
(k) Lawn Tennis Courts.
(l) Green Areas.

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SCALE 1:125.
SCALE 1:200

SCALE 1:200

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 SCALE 1:
175.

3.4 SITE PLANNING LAYOUT

The site layout of the proposed Takum City Park is such that there
exist two main entrances and exit.
SITE LAYOUT KEY
A - WATER FOUNTAIN
B - SWIMMING POOL
C - FOOTBALL
D - BASKET BALL
E - GARDEN/ PICNIC AREA
F – LAWN TENNIS
G – POOL HOUSE
H – RESTAURANT/ MULTI-PURPOSE HALL/ ADMIN.
I – PARKING AREA 1
J – PARKING AREA 2
K – SNACK POINTS
L – GATE HOUSE

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SCALE
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 1:1400

FIG 3.1 BLOW-UP A OF SITE LAYOUT FOR TAKUM CITY PARK. SCALE
1:950

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FIG 3.2 BLOW-UP B OF SITE LAYOUT FOR TAKUM CITY PARK. SCALE
1:950

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3.5 3D VIEWS OF PROPOSAL

FIG 3.3 REAR 3 D VIEW OF THE PROPOSED TAKUM CITY PARK.

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FIG 3.4 BIRDS-EYES VIEW OF THE PROPOSED TAKUM CITY PARK.
3.6 SUMMARY
Tourism has become a sustainable revenue earner competing
favourably with other sectors such as the oil sector and the
manufacturing sector, especially in the developed countries.
However, in spite of the enormous tourism potentials in Nigeria,
the investigation shows that tourism's contribution to economic
development in Nigeria leaves much to be desired. For tourism
industry to contribute significantly to economic development in
Nigeria; just as it does in other economies, the proposal suggests
some promotional remedies for the industry by the government.
These remedies among others include: the playing of an active
role in tourist destination development by the government,
government involvement in the planning and execution of
marketing of tourism potentials, the invitation of travel agents to
visit Nigeria by government agency (NTDC), from time to time
with the aim of stimulating such travel agents' interest in
marketing Nigeria; and the compilation of statistics on
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international arrivals – tourism expenditure with a view to
measuring travel, recreational and tourist development.

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