BUILT-UP AREA DYNAMICS IN “PRE- AND DURING BOKO HARAM CONFLICTS” IN MONGUNO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF BORNO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Abstract. The Boko Haram insurgency has had a significant impact on the Monguno Local Government Area (LGA) in Borno State, Nigeria, for more than ten years. This study analysed how the Boko Haram insurgency affected the built-up areas of Monguno LGA. The focus of this study was to map, analyse, and detect the spectral and spatial changes of the earth's surface using remotely sensed images and geospatial techniques, focusing in particular on the built-up areas in the study area, in order to provide sufficient information on the status of built-up areas for effective planning and good governance. Employing a combination of the pixel-based Supervised Maximum Likelihood classification algorithm and the Object Based Image analysis, the study used Landsat 7 ETM+ satellite imageries for the years 2004 and 2007 and Landsat 8 OLT/TIRS imageries for the years 2014 and 2021 to determine the rate of change in the built-up areas over a period of seventeen (17) years (from 2004 to 2021). The classified Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) maps were grouped into four classes: water body, built-up areas, vegetation, and bare land, even though the study was more concerned about the changes in the built-up area. The results showed that from 2004, the built-up area occupied 0.12% with a total land area of 2.00km2 and increased in 2007 by 0.21%. From 2007 to 2014 the built-up area was seen to have increased by 0.31% with a built-up area of 6.00km2. Similarly, there was an increase in the built-up area from 0.31% in 2014 to 0.63% in 2021. Generally, the built-up area has increased by 0.51% from 2004–2021 and the largest percentage increase was noticed from 2014 to 2021 where there was an increase of 0.31% in the built-up area. This increase signifies that there has been an inflow of people into Monguno from neighbouring LGA. It was recommended that future research should incorporate other parameters such as population, literacy level, and socioeconomic well-being of the people.