THE STATE OF URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE AND ITS EFFECTS ON PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT IN NYANYA F.C.T.

THE STATE OF URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE AND ITS EFFECTS ON PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT IN NYANYA F.C.T.

ABSTRACT

Urban infrastructure covers a wide range of services and facilities, which are electricity, water supply, roads network, waste disposal, drainage system, communication primary health care services and schools etc. despite the fact that these services are provided , if it is not properly managed it tends to affect the activities of an organization  and real property development at large. This work is to identify the state of urban infrastructure and its effects on property development in Nyanya F.C.T Nigeria. to achieve this data were collected through oral interview, personal observation and a structure questionnaire which were administered to 50 respondents in the study area which comprises of estate agent, landlord/developer and some tenants in Nyanya which 45 out of 50 questionnaire were collected back, the data were analyzed through tabular presentation and research question were analyzed using descriptive method. It was then realized that the infrastructure provided in Nyanya is not properly maintained especially in the areas of roads drainages, electricity and water supply. A recommendation were made that the government both federal and local level should join hands together to ensure that infrastructure is adequately provided and proper maintenance culture should be adopted. Finally a conclusion was made that areas with proper infrastructure and well maintained tends to attract real property development than the areas without infrastructure facilities.

CHAPTER ONE

1.1       INTRODUCTION

Urban infrastructure system is the state of the efficiency of any form of human activity system. Including an urban area largely depends on the provision of efficient infrastructural facilities and services (Babarinde, 1998).

Hence, the significance of infrastructure in the proper functioning of an urban area cannot be dismissed.

Quite apart from being a major pointer of environmental quality, urban infrastructure is a critical agent for the socio-economic development of any urban area (Okusipe, 1999). It plays an important and indispensable role in the economic, social and environmental aspects of life of an urban setting. It has a manifest impact on the quality of life it is a backbone of any economy|: industries need it to effectively and efficiently drive their development processes.

Urban infrastructure covers a wide range of services and facilities, namely electricity, water, road, waste disposal, drainage, communication, primary health services, school and housing etc. as the key ones. These are more often provided by the government. Where urban infrastructure is adequately provided and efficiently managed, productive and profitable land uses are usually attracted towards property development of such area. These uses out compete less productive uses through better rent and price offers. This competition for location with good urban infrastructure usually results in an increase in land and housing value, either sales or rental (Harvey, 1994).

However it is evident that a series of factors such as the present economic condition, governments’ legislation and policies, lack of proper management infrastructure provision come into play to influence property development in carrying out this study, all other factors were considered on why urban infrastructure was affected in relation to property development in Nyanya.

This study therefore highlights the state of urban infrastructure in Nyanya and its effects on property development.

1.2       STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEMS

The major problem which confronts many urban centres like Nyanya where the study area was found in yearly flooding after every down pour i.e. raining season. This is caused by the poor drainage canals which have been blocked purposefully by people carrying out unauthorized construction or by share negligence of the urban dwellers to clear the drainages of the places dumping of refuse e.g. sachets water in the drainages which cannot easily melt and total abuses of drainages in the consigned neighbourhood. The uncoordinated physical planning and poor state of urban infrastructure in Nyanya has kept the area majorly as a slum. The incessant accumulation of solid waste along the roads is alarming. The deposit of waste especially along street has become an environmental hazard due to lack of provision of no designated spots to deposit the wastes for their onward disposal, therefore, poor living in that study area throw them about indiscriminately, even into the drainage canals, hoping that the flood water will carry the waste away when rain falls, another problem faced in the study area is electricity supply which has effect on commercial property development, commercial and industrial concerns need constant supply electricity for their businesses. However the residents of the study area Nyanya remain without electric power below capacities leading

some of the industries or commercial concern to go for alternative sources of power which sometime cause explosion resulting in loss of lives and properties e.g. the use of gas, lamps; kerosene stove and generators respectively in some extreme cases fold up thereby forcing many employees into the labour market.

1.3       AIM AND OBJECTIVES

The aim of this project is to examine the types and state of urban infrastructure and its effect on property development in Nyanya with a view to identify the problems and offer profound and appropriate solution.

            To achieve the aim above the following objectives will be pursued.

1. To identify the type of infrastructure in the study area.
2. To assess the state of the infrastructure in Nyanya.
3. To examine the effects of infrastructure on property development.
   
4. To identify the problems associated with the infrastructure.
5. To offer viable solution to the identified problems.

1.4       RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. What are the types of infrastructure in the area?
2. What is state of the infrastructure in the area?
3. What is the effect of infrastructure on property development?
4. What are the problems associated with infrastructure?
5. What is the solution to the problems?

1.5       SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

The scope of this project is mainly concern with the state of urban infrastructure and its effect on property development in Nyanya to identify the problems and after solution only within Nyanya.

The following are the limitation encounter while carrying out personal interview in the study area the resident were not comply or ready to disclose any information to me because of security purpose it was hectic.

1.6       SIGNIFICANCE/JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY

This study is hoped that it will assist the planning authority in mapping out proposal/development plus proper for infrastructure development in the study area in addition it will render meaningful assistance in the strategies for estate layout that will promote urban environmental quality thereby enhancing property development in the areas.

1.7       BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY AREA

Nyanya is one of the ward districts in Abuja municipal area council (AMAC) and is made up of much more than the labour camp. There was already an existing settlement now known as Nyanya village before Abuja became the capital. This original settlement was founded in 1923 when the indigenous ethnic group, the Gbagyis moved down from the surrounding Nyanya hills to the present location. This followed the relative peace that had come to the area with the arrival of Europeans. Prior to this, the people had taken refuge in the hills to escape the menace of the many inter-tribal wars of the time. In line with the federal governments’ resettlement policy, Nyanya village was to be relocated to a new place call New Nyanya but this has not been implemented. Predominantly made up of the indigenous population, the houses are very old and of poor quality, there are roads and resident instead rely on footpaths or spaces between houses, apart from the labour camp and village. There is also the new layout carved out by the government. It is the newest part of the settlement the government allocate plots to people to build houses and this has encouraged the construction of new houses. It also contains government housing projects. The housing units are less populated and senior government or private company officials. Most of the people who live there are enough to own their houses or high enough in the government services to be allocated such houses; the result is that Nyanya is a superimposition of three settlements. This has implication for social and spatial difference and demonstrates that the problem is not limited to the city scale.

A major feature of this settlement is its rapid growth in size (area) and population. In 1989, Nyanya was about 17km from the centre of Abuja but this distance has been considerably reduced due to the development that has taken place on both sides. In terms of population, the 1991 national census gives a figure of 20,748 making Nyanya second only to Garki and constituting 5.58% of the population of the FCT in 2001 arrived at a figure of 80,000 and average of 4-5 person per household. This makes it attractive to civil servant and others who want to live relatively close to the centre. Nyanya today, apart from the major market and a motor park, commercial shops line both sides of the major road that divides the settlement into two. In 1989, Nyanya had 136 open market stores and 255 locked up stores, about 10% of the shares of the F.C.T.

1.8       DEFINITION AND OPERATION OF TERMS

             The following were the key terms and their dictionary meaning:

1. Urban: it means the relating to, or designating a city or town or living in a city.
2. State: it means the condition of a thing or person as with respect to circumstance or attributes.
3. Infrastructure: it means the basic, underlying frame work or features of a system or organization or fundamental facilities and systems serving a country.
4. Effect: it means something that is produced by an agency or cause, result, consequence or validity to produce result, force influence.
5. Property:it means that which a person owns, the possessions also means land, goods e.t.c
6. Development: it means the act or process of developing, growth, progress.