Settlement Dynamics in the Northern Fringes of Port Harcourt Metropolis
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC & TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH VOLUME 4, ISSUE 05, MAY 2015 ISSN 2277-8616 Settlement Dynamics In The Northern Fringes Of Port Harcourt Metropolis Ibama Brown, Wachukwu Fyneface Chijioke ABSTRACT: Growth in Port Harcourt has been experienced in terms of population and space. However, while some settlements in the northern fringes of Port Harcourt metropolis are growing rapidly, some are almost stagnant if not shrinking. This work has identified reasons why Port Harcourt is growing towards the north, factors for changes in population, land-use and infrastructure, the magnitude of the changes in population and infrastructure have been identified, the role of both the public and private sector in addressing the issue of rapid growth of settlements that are immerging as the bigger settlements in an unplanned and uncontrollable way have been discussed. Questionnaires were administered, oral interviews were conducted and personal observations helped in gathering information about the study area. Findings indicates that there is correlation between population and infrastructural development, some settlements are densely populated while others are sparsely populated, some settlements need facilities that will cause multiplier’s effect while others need facilities that will serve their basic needs. People are moving to the northern fringes of Port Harcourt metropolis because land is available, less expensive and the topography encourages infrastructural development. This work has assessed the dynamics of settlements in the northern fringes of Port Harcourt metropolis by looking at changes in population and infrastructure. Keywords: Settlement, Settlement Growth, Settlement Dynamics and concept of infrastructure ———————————————————— INTRODUCTION The increase is not much. Owei etal (2008) gave the Stone (1965), describes settlement as the description and population of Igbo-Etche as 22,626 in 1991 and 56,221 in analysis of distribution of buildings by which people attach 2008; it doubled itself, but the total figure in 2006 did not in themselves to land, in other words, settlement is any place any way double itself, so it indicates that while some where humans live. Settlement includes hamlets, villages, settlements in Etche Local Government area are growing towns, and cities. There have been spatial dynamics of rapidly, some are almost stagnant if not shrinking. Same settlements in the northern fringes of Port Harcourt thing applies to Ikwerre Local Government area. The 1991 metropolis, these dynamics refers to changes in land use, population census gave the population of Ikwerre Local population and infrastructure over time. These changes Government Area as 125,385; in 2006 it has risen to come with their own problems. For example, changes in 188,930; but no much difference. According to Owei etal population have the problems of inadequate housing and (2008), the population of Aluu in 1991 is 7,051, in 2008 it other infrastructural endowment to meet the needs of the has risen to 17,520, almost tripling itself, but the 1991 figure populace. Changes in infrastructure have the problem of of Ikwerre Local Government Area did not in any way tried rapid urbanization in an uncontrollable way. Changes in to double itself at the 2006 census. It is also an indication land-use has effects on the economic and social activities, that some settlements are growing rapidly while some are even the climatic condition of the area. For such changes in not. There must be reasons for some settlements to grow population, land-use and infrastructure to take place, there rapidly while some are not. It is for this reason that the must be factors that are responsible. According to Owei et research have been proposed to address the following al (2008), in 1991, the population of Igbo-Etche was 22, 626 research questions. but in 2008, the population has risen to 56,221. Aluu used to be 7,051 as at 1991, but in 2008 it has risen to 17,520. GOAL AND OBJECTIVES Same thing applies to Igwuruta which was 13,463 but has The broad goal of the study is to determine factors that are almost tripled, in fact in 2008 it has a population of 33,452. responsible for the changes in population and infrastructure For such big changes to occur in such a magnitude, there of the settlements in the northern fringes of Port Harcourt are factors responsible. This research work tends to explore and to determine the magnitude of such change. The the factors that are responsible for such changes over time. objectives the study will focus on the following specific objectives; STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 1) To identify reasons why Port Harcourt metropolis is Settlements in the northern fringes of Port Harcourt growing towards the north. metropolis are settlements in Ikwerre and Etche Local 2) To determine factors that are responsible for the Government Area of Rivers State. The 1991 population changes in population, land-use and infrastructure in census has the population of Etche to be 242,296; the 2006 the northern fringes of Port Harcourt metropolis. population census has a total figure of 249,939; 3) To identify the magnitude of such changes in ______________________ population and infrastructure in the northern fringes of Port Harcourt Metropolis. Ibama Brown is currently a Lecturer in the Department of 4) To ascertain the contributions of both public and Urban and Regional Planning in the Rivers State private sector in addressing the issue of rapid growth University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, of the settlements that is immerging as the bigger PH-+2348035519084. settlements in such an unplanned and uncontrollable E-mail: [email protected] way. Wachukwu Fyneface Chijioke is currently a research assistant in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning in the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, PH +2348055136552 Email: [email protected] 34 IJSTR©2015 www.ijstr.org INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC & TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH VOLUME 4, ISSUE 05, MAY 2015 ISSN 2277-8616 SCOPE OF THE STUDY community. Lean etal. (1966), asserts that the nature of The study was conducted in Ikwerre and Etche Local existing economic opportunities in a nation is a guide to the Government Areas of Rivers State. These local government size and character of the future urban population, level of areas are in the northern fringes of Port Harcourt income, consumption, land use etc. It is so because the Metropolis. It is bounded in the north by Imo State, in the less industrialized countries have a greater potential rate of South by Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, in the East urban growth than advanced countries whose population is by Omuma Local Government and in the West by Emohua already urbanized, which is to say that the rate of urban Local Government Area of Rivers State. The study area growth is closely related to the rate of industrial growth. falls on co-ordinates 4.500N-4.090N, 6.300E-7.0O0E of the Urban growth involves the processes of internal google earth map. It is endowed with vast agricultural land reorganization and outward expansion. which is also suitable for infrastructural development, and infrastructural development is just a factor in settlement THE CITY OF PORT HARCOURT dynamics. Below is a map showing the study area. According to Ogionwo (1979), the area comprising the municipality of Port was prior to 1918, largely farmland and secondary forest. The urban area was established by the colonial government when in May 1913, Lord Lugard acquired approximately 25 square miles of land from the indigenous Ikwerre and Okirika people. Wolpe (1974), made it clear that Port Harcourt’s origin is rooted in the 1909 discovery of coal in Eastern Nigerian’s Udi division. Effective explanation of the coal fields required the development of distribution network to enable coal to be carried to Lagos and other West African Ports. The search for a site that would be suitable both as a seaport and a railway terminus led to the exploration of Bonny River and eventually to the discovery of natural harbour which was subsequently named after Lewis Harcourt who served as a secretary of state for colonies from November 7, 1910 to May 26, 1915. He adds that Port Harcourt is lying about forty feet above sea level and a very few degree above equator, Port Harcourt has the reputation of being next to Lagos, the mostly climatically comfortable city in Nigeria. Because of its location on the edge of the Niger Delta’s mangrove foreshore, much of Port Harcourt was not habitable, consisting in main of winding creeks and muddy swampland. In the early 60’s the city’s population was spread among a number of dry-land residential lay-outs ranging from the plush, low density Europeanized sections that accommodated the city’s expatriates and Nigeria upper-class to the mud and thatch villages of Port REVIEW OF LITERATURE Harcourt’s small indigenous settlements. Then the greatest population of Port Harcourt was concentrated within the MEANING OF SETTLEMENT medium-to-high density sections known as the Main Stone (1965), sees settlement as the description and Township and Mile 2 Diobu. analysis of the distribution of buildings by which people attach themselves to the land. Jordan (1966) emphasizes SETTLEMENT DYNAMICS OF PORT HARCOURT that settlement geography not only exclusively investigates METROPOLIS OVERTIME the distributions, but even more the structure, processes According to Owei etal (2006), Port Harcourt is one of the and the interaction between settlements and its nation’s fastest growing cities. The Rivers State statistical environment. That more recently, the study of settlement agency put the annual growth rate of the city between and has evolved into the interaction of humans with the physical at over 5%. As at 2004, Port Harcourt metropolis covers an and ecological world. Settlement is a term used in statistics, area of 180,000 hectares with a population of 1,017,461.