Original Article Urban Growth and Housing Problems in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Nigeria Muhammad Isma’il*1, Ezra Ishaku1, Abdulkadir Muhammed Yahaya2, Muhammad Ashiru Tanko3 and Hadiza Tanimu Ahmed4 1Department of Geography, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria 2Department of Geography, Federal College of Education, Zaria, Nigeria 3Department of Environmental Health Science, Shehu Idris College of Health Sciences and Technology, Makarfi, Nigeria 4Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Zaria, Nigeria *Corresponding author e-mail: [email protected] A B S T R A C T The study examined urban growth and housing problems in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State in Nigeria. Questionnaire survey was used to acquire primary data which was complemented with secondary data. The respondents for the questionnaire survey comprised of the residents, government officials, and other stake holders in urban and housing development in the area. A total of 300 questionnaires were administered using stratified and random sampling techniques. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. Findings revealed a strong correlation between urban growth and housing problems in the area. The study also identified housing problems such as overcrowding and congestion, poor accessibility, substandard and inadequate housing, as well as insufficient basic amenities and infrastructural facilities in the area. There is the need for government to plan for future urban expansion of Karu in order to avoid urban sprawl leading to more housing problems in the area. One approach to this is the development of satellite towns with good accessibility to the city centre. There is also the need for provision of basic amenities and infrastructural facilities and utilities that are lacking in the area. Keywords: Urban growth, Urban sprawl, Housing problems, Field survey, Correlation matrix. Global Journal of Research and Review www.gjrr.org Isma’il et al__________________________________________________ ISSN 2393-8854 INTRODUCTION Urbanization is the increasing like Nigeria, evidence revealed a rapid number of people in urban areas resulting to decrease in the provision of new housing, as the development of towns and cities. This is well as poor state and inadequate urban usually as a result of the movement of housing infrastructures to support the people from rural to urban areas leading to increasing population8,9. Therefore, in population growth in towns and cities1. developing countries where there is rapid Urbanization is not only characterized by urbanization, the problem of inadequate demographic change but involves social housing for the people constitutes one of the change, technological advancement and major challenges to economic development economic transformation. These changes are and the welfare of the citizens. influenced by social, political and The Draft of the National Urban geographical factors and therefore vary from Development Policy10 notes that Nigerian one geographical location to another. towns are growing without adequate Urbanization is increasing rapidly in planning. Besides, urbanization in Nigeria is most African countries2, and the major characterized by unplanned growth, factors for the rapid increase relate to large- deteriorating infrastructure and inadequate scale migration from rural areas to the urban housing. In addition, Abiodun and Segun areas for better economic opportunities. (2005)11 assessed the housing conditions in a Other factors are natural increase of the typical Nigerian town. They found that most population, and uneven concentration of of the houses fall short of the basic investments by governments and private requirements of decent accommodation and organizations3,4 in the cities compared to are therefore not conducive for human rural areas. habitation. Housing is a residential structure Moreover, Amao (2012)12 examined where man lives and grows. It is therefore the rate of urbanization, housing quality and universally acknowledged as one of the most environmental degeneration in Nigeria. He basic human needs for survival5 on the discovered that poor housing quality has surface of the Earth. The demand for serious adverse effects on the environment housing has been an issue of global concern and the health of city residents. Bhatta as the housing provision still remains one of (2010)13 highlighted the negative impact of the most difficult problems facing urban growth on the environment which humanity6. It is reported that more than one includes increased temperature, poor air billion people, i.e. about one quarter of the quality, impact on water quality and quantity world population live without shelter or in and impact on public health. Similarly, unhealthy and unacceptable housing Oyeleye (2013)14 observed that the conditions7. The most adversely affected by challenges of urban growth in Nigeria inadequate or lacks of housing are the urban include housing problems, food insecurity poor, who constitute the majority in the and climate change which all have impact developing countries2. on the environment and livelihood. According to a United Nations Similarly, Chindo (2013)15 analyzed the Report, the developing countries of Africa spatial growth of the greater Karu Urban and Asia consist of cities which now area. He discovered that the consequences of account for over 90 percent of the world urban growth could be positive or negative. urban population growth2. Despite the rapid The positive impact includes increasing rate of urbanization in developing countries GNP and increasing recognition. However, GJRR[2][1][2015] 045-057 Isma’il et al__________________________________________________ ISSN 2393-8854 the negative impact includes unplanned The area has an estimated population growth and dilapidated houses. of 10,000 in 1991, and is believed to have The settlements in Karu Local grown rapidly to an estimated population of Government Area like many other 50,000 and 130,000 by 2001 and 2010 settlements around the Federal Capital respectively; due to continuous migration of Territory (FCT) Abuja in Nigeria are people from other parts of the country to this experiencing unprecedented and rapid rate area18. Its current population is estimated at of urbanization. The relocation of the FCT 205, 477. to Abuja in 1991 and the proximity of the Karu is located within a broad gentle settlements around the territory brought rolling undulating plain with elevation sudden economic prosperity to the area, and ranging from 300 to 500 meters above sea. these have transformed Karu from a remote The soils derived from this bedrock structure rural settlement to a vibrant urban area. As a are generally deep and well drained with development corridor to the FCT for more high fertility rating and variable run-off than two decades, Karu has become one of potential, with variations mainly along the the fastest growing urban areas in Nigeria. It stream-beds where the soils are higher in has an annual growth rate of over 40% clay content18. The natural vegetation in the owing to the rapid rate of urban growth and area is of the park savannah type, featuring economic development principally as a dense tropical woodland with shrubs and result of the influx of migrants from other grasses; with variations reflecting the parts of the country16. The objective of this influence of local conditions such as relief, study is to examine the relationship between soil, and recently the effect of human urban growth and housing problems in Karu activities. The area has two distinct seasons Local Government Area with a view to (wet and dry), typical of north-central identify the housing problems resulting from Nigeria. The spatial pattern of rainfall in the urbanization in the area, and proffer study area is slightly influenced by the north solutions to the problems. central highlands with a mean annual rainfall between 1100mm to about Research hypothesis 2000mm18. Ho: there is no significant Karu is cosmopolitan in nature with relationship between urban growth and various ethnic groups living together in housing problems in Karu Local harmony. The major indigenous ethnic Government Area of Nasarawa State in groups in the area are Gbagyi, Koro, Nigeria. Yeskwa, Gwandara and Gade. There are many settlers comprising of Mada, Eggon, The study area Hausa-Fulani, Igbo, Tiv, Yoruba who Karu Local Government Area of migrated to take advantage of the economic Nasarawa State is located between latitudes potentials in the area19. 80 5’ N and 100 42’ N and longitudes90 25’E and 70 54’E of the Greenwich Meridian as MATERIAL AND MEHODS shown in Figure 1. Karu is an unplanned area covering a spatial extent of about Types and sources of data 800sqkm17. It extends from the eastern The method that was used in this boundary of the Federal Capital Territory study is qualitative approach which includes Abuja (Old Nyanya) to Gora about 15 the use of questionnaire, interviews and kilometers to Keffi as shown in Figure 1. observation to obtain primary data. GJRR[2][1][2015] 045-057 Isma’il et al__________________________________________________ ISSN 2393-8854 Secondary sources of data include books, RESULTS AND DISCUSSION journals, and theses. The questionnaire was designed to Socio- demographic characteristics of the respondents obtain information on the nature of urban 22 growth and housing problems in seven Ekop (2012) found that there is selected districts of Karu. The questionnaire relationship