THE IMPACT OF THE PROLIFERATION OF FRONTAGE SHOPS ON PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT IN TAMMAH NASARAWA

THE IMPACT OF THE PROLIFERATION OF FRONTAGE SHOPS ON PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT IN TAMMAH NASARAWA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background Of The Study

Properties either commercial or residential property in form of housing is an essential and fundamental component of the overall land use activities in both rural and urban areas. It has been universally acknowledged as one of the basic needs for man’s survival as it goes a long way to determine not only the social standard of a man but also that of a nation and a community (Ezirim, 2005).

Generally, the supply and the demand for properties take place in a housing market. According to Bourne (1981), the housing market is a set of institutions and procedures for bringing together housing supply and demand, that is, buyers and sellers, renters and landlords, builders and consumers, for the purpose of exchanging houses and housing services as resources. It examined in detail the present and future trends in the supply of and demand for housing within a given area. Basically, housing market analysis identifies supply and demand factors and needs and establishes procedures and processes for meeting the needs. Unlike other types of market, the housing market had a number of distinctive characteristics. It deals with the exchange of rights and property and is, for all intents and purposes, immobile. The housing market had no specific market place where exchanges between buyers and sellers were done.

The process of urbanization had taken a new turn over the last few decades and population explosion had placed urban areas in a situation where the available facilities including housing and commercial properties in form of shops were below margin in terms of meeting its equivalent demand. Considering the environmental nature of frontage shops which depicts deteriorating housing facilities, environmental degradation, poor sanitary environment, bad roads and access, overcrowding, high crime rate, delinquents, etc. had tremendous negative influence on the health, safety and economic and social welfare of residents of any urban centre or community.

In recent times studies have shown that inadequate commercial properties such as shops and offices in urban areas of developing countries have lead to the development of frontage shops (Rojas, 2000). Ooi and Phua (2007) have observed that most cities in developing world have been overwhelmed with the development of frontage and corner shops in an attempt to meet the gap for commercial properties development, thereby constituting hindrance to property development.

Property development comprises a significant component of total Australian economic output. The property development process involves the continual combination of significant factors of production (land, labour, capital and enterprise). In addition, property development in Australia has been characterized by some significant cyclical influences as the process involves significant risk. It is in the interests of capital markets, market participants and the public sector that property development processes are better understood so as to ensure efficient allocation of physical resources, human resources and capital(Cadman, 1995).

The pattern of property development within the context of metropolitan growth and development has been the subject of an extensive literature. Among the streams of literature have been monocentric and polycentric models, rent gradients and population density, and spatial mismatch and jobs/housing balance. Less examined have been the factors that determine the specific location of residential development from among the number of potentially suitable sites available. Miles (2002) of opined that site selection suggest that factors that are important in locating a residential development include: physical suitability for development, slopes, soils, hydrology, land availability, legal restrictions, government regulations (zoning and other land use controls), existing land use patterns and location of other property development, access, including proximity to interstate highways, distance to employment sources, distance to shopping, availability of amenities (water, restaurants and shopping, golf, parks), neighborhood factors such as age of surrounding housing stock, schools, crime etc (McMillan, 2000).

Property or real estate development is the process of developing buildings or land into a higher use value. It is a multi-faceted business which encompasses any of the following; buying land and building property on it, renovating, extending or improving property and or converting property from one use type to another. The proliferation of frontage shops has significantly affected the quality of urban environment as it negates the effectiveness of property development and development control in Nigeria urban centers (    ). Property development control forms an integral part of the planning practice. It is the basic means by which the state intervenes to regulate the use and development of land in order to implement local and national planning policies. Most significantly, it is the part of the planning process in which members of the public come into contact with local planning authorities.

Originally, the rationale for the introduction of state control on private development was to achieve objectives of safety and better health in order to create an improved environment for the benefit of the community. However, as the role of the state expanded and the extent of its intervention increased the definition of the ‘environment’ subject to planning control has changed. From being wholly concerned with the physical form and content of development it now embraces the social and economic consequences of development. As a result, development control has been used to implement planning strategies for different purposes; for example to minimize the negative effect of urban growth, to check the menace of market forces and ensure social equity, as well as to control property development in the urban centers as to ensure compliance with development standard. (Litchfield & Darin Drabkin, 1980). It is against this background that this study seeks to examine the impact of the proliferation of frontage shops on property development in Tammah Nasarawa.

1.2       Statement of the Problem

Like every other developing country, the problems associated with frontage shops, corner shops and property development in general had been a predominant issue in urban centres. These problems were seen around both residential settlements and other uses. In Nasarawa town, Tammah in particularly, every most residential property or shops along major streets and roads are characterized with frontage shop which pose serious problems to the environment and property development in particular. These problems observed include obstruction to drainage system as most frontage shops are built across drainage systems, littering of wastes, distortion to the atheistic beauty of the town, overcrowding, conversion of residential building to commercial without due consideration to development standard among others. Frontage shops are mostly constructed without the approval of development control authority as owners of such properties did not have the right of either develop or occupying such properties. Frontage shops or structures were mostly erected arbitrary and construction is carried out with weak and short-lived materials which were vulnerable to potential environmental consequences. Buildings were not well planned or designed, no pre-concerned layouts and complete absence of development control. For this study, the problems mentioned above would be the focus of this study as it would examine the impact of the proliferation of frontage shops on property development in Tammah Nasarawa.

1.3       Aim and Objectives of the Study

The aim of this study is to examine the proliferation of frontage shops on property development in Tammah Nasarawa.

The specific objectives of the study include:

• Examine the types of frontage shops
• To examine the rules and regulation on development control in Nasarawa town
• To examine the development control authority
• To examine how the establishment or sitting of frontage shops abide to rules and regulations of development control
• To examine the challenges of the enforcement of development control in Nasarawa town.

1.4       Research Questions

• What are the types of frontage shops?
• What are the rules and regulation on development control in Nasarawa town?
• What the concept of development control authority
• Does the establishment or sitting of frontage shops abide by the rules and regulations of development control?
• What are the challenges of the enforcement of development control in Nasarawa town?

1.5       Significance of the study

The role of property development and development control in management of urban areas cannot be underestimated. The crucial relevance of property development makes studies about it important to national development. This study examined the impact of the proliferation of frontage shops on property development in Tammah Nasarawa.

The study is particularly important as contributes to existing works on
property development and the numerous factors that affects it, particularly the uncontrolled numbers of frontage or corner shops in Nigeria urban centers. This will contribute to knowledge by discovering new challenges stakeholders faces in controlling and housing development in urban centers in growing cities and also serves as a reference material for future research.

The findings of this study will help contribute to good management practice in the public
institutions charged with the responsibility of controlling property developments in the
country. This is because the study attempts to explore the problems associated with
proliferation of frontage shops and how it affects property development and recommends actions to be taken for its effectiveness.

Furthermore, the findings will create awareness of stakeholders on the current state of
proliferation of frontage shops and their effect on the urban environment and people. This will ensure adequate measures are put in place to prevent further developments of the
situations where buildings in urban areas uncontrolled. The implementation of findings of
this research will also lead to improvement in urban housing development and
management as well as related issues in Nigeria as a whole.

The study will extend literature and broaden the frontiers of knowledge in property development and development control and serve as input into related works in future. The findings could contribute to tackling issues for consideration in the study district as well as national policies on ensuring effective developments in the urban areas and beyond.

1.6       Scope and Limitations of the Study 

This project mainly concern on the examination of the impact of proliferation of frontage shops on property development in Tammah Nasarawa. The study will only be limited to properties with frontage shops which are not originally part of the building plan, which includes Kiosk, makeshift shops, etc.   

In the course of carrying out this study several problems were encountered among which are:

Financial constraint– Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

Time constraint– The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.

Uncooperative attitude of Respondents: Some respondents were very reluctant in responding to the research questions which tried to affect the research but the researcher make concerted effort to convinced them. 

1.8     DEFINITION & OPERATIONAL OF TERMS

• Property development: Property development, is a business process, encompassing activities that range from the renovation and re-lease of existing buildings to the purchase of raw land and the sale of developed land or parcels to others (Wikipedia, 2017).
• Property: This is the embodiment of tangible ownership right or bundles of right in real estate. It could also be described as a concept of right which can be held separately (Babatunde, 2003).
• Development:  used here means an event constituting a new stage in a changing situation i.e. process development or being developed.
• Control:  implies the power to influence or checking direct result of a survey or experiment of an intelligence of organization. 
• Impact: these means to have a strong effect on something either positive or negative.