Characteristics, Challenges and Prospects of Informal Land Use Activities in Barkin Ladi Town, Nigeria

John Y Dung-Gwom,Musa Bitrus Dung

doi:10.22158/uspa.v1n1p13

Abstract

<p><em>This paper examines the urban planning implications of informal sector activities in Barkin-Ladi Town, a post mining settlement in Plateau State, Nigeria. The objective of the paper is to examine the planning challenges posed by the informal sector activities and to make appropriate recommendations towards integrating and regulating such activities within the settlement. A total of 187 questionnaires were administered on three categories of informal sector activities in the area, while interviews were conducted with the staff of the Area Office of the Ministry of Lands, Survey and Town Planning and of the Works Department of the Barkin Ladi local government council, which is the planning authority. The research revealed that trading was the dominant informal activity being undertaken by 63% of the respondents, followed by cottage industries (14%) and tertiary services (23%). Planning challenges pose by informal activities included: change of use without planning approvals, encroachment on access roads, conflicting land uses, non-compliance with the relevant planning law on zoning. There were no spatial developmental plans or guidelines by the relevant planning authority to regulate the activities of informal sector activities. Environmental management challenges were lack of access to basic infrastructure, degradation of the urban environment, and insecurity of life and property. It is recommended that there is the need for planners to understand the valuable contributions of the informal activities to the local economy by integrating them in the spatial development frameworks through appropriate zoning, location, space management and regulatory policies. Basic infrastructure and services should be provided to enhance their productivity, while government and other stakeholders should improve access to loans, micro-finance, material resources and capacity building of informal participants.</em></p>

Highlights

The problem of physical disorder and its attendant issues of unsustainable urban growth and environmental inadequacies are a clear manifestation of the failure of planners to recognize and incorporate certain aspects of urban activities into the land use allocation process and to device appropriate tools of administering or managing them
This paper examines the urban planning implications of informal sector activities in Barkin-Ladi Town, a post mining settlement in Plateau State, Nigeria
A total of 187 questionnaires were administered on three categories of informal sector activities in the area, while interviews were conducted with the staff of the Area Office of the Ministry of Lands, Survey and Town Planning and of the Works Department of the Barkin Ladi local government council, which is the planning authority

Summary

Introduction

The problem of physical disorder and its attendant issues of unsustainable urban growth and environmental inadequacies are a clear manifestation of the failure of planners to recognize and incorporate certain aspects of urban activities into the land use allocation process and to device appropriate tools of administering or managing them. Adeyinka, et al (2006) with reference to Nigeria have observed the lack of official recognition of urban informal activities in the management of urban spaces and provision of basic infrastructure and services with the consequence of them spilling into any available space and location thereby contributing significantly to the chaos and disorder that is found in such areas. This is a common characteristic of most African cities (Komollo, 2010). The research has adopted a classification of informal activities based on three major types; trading, service or cottage industries which are basically unregulated

Objectives

Results

Discussion

Conclusion