Assessing Informal Settlements in Selected Cities in Nigeria’s North-Central Region

Abstract

Housing ownership has undoubtedly been a major problem in Nigeria owing, in part to accelerated urbanisation and poverty. As a result, the incidence of informal settlements has risen and their long-term viability has become a difficult but important consideration in planning discourse. This chapter examines the major factors influencing the incidence of informal settlements, the vulnerable groups alongside their dynamics and impact across cities in Nigeria's North-Central region. Overcoming limitations of spatial perspectives between cities in a region, the study involves an assessment of secondary data and documents alongside physical observation. Two states in the northcentral

region (Benue and Plateau) and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, were purposively chosen. The focus was on capital cities whose urban nucleus is driven by the expansion of more informal communities. The findings show that migration, poverty, the informal economy, affordability and urbanisation are the primary factors leading to the emergence of informal settlements. Women, workers, disabled people, migrants and unskilled youths as well as teenagers were found to be among the most vulnerable groups in informal settlements, which are often clustered near hazardous areas such as riverbanks, flood zones and dumps . Cons equent l y, t hi s s t udy r ecommends publ i c- pr i vat e partnership for affordable housing supply, upgrading and management, as well as the launch of a public awareness to educate residents about its implications for public health and the environment among others.