Enugu Urban Research Articles

Social sustainability in public housing: insight from social network analysis of recent residential developments in Enugu, Nigeria

Despite the growing need for public housing schemes to contribute to the attainment of sustainable residential neighbourhoods in line with the Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11), the extent to which such schemes are achieving this in countries in the Global South is yet to be determined. This study investigated the social sustainability of three public housing estates in the Enugu Urban area, Nigeria, with a view to understanding their social sustainability indices. A cross-sectional survey of randomly selected 160 residents of the estates was done and the data analysed using descriptive and social network analyses. The findings revealed that the sampled housing estates recorded moderate social sustainability values due to differing availability and use of public spaces, and associational activities. The study implies that the provision of public spaces and facilities is vital in enhancing the social sustainability of mass housing developments.

Analysis of the seasonal and spatial variation of surface water quality parameters in Enugu Urban Rivers, Southeast, Nigeria

Analysis of the seasonal and spatial variation of surface water quality parameters in Enugu Urban Rivers, Southeast, Nigeria

Customary Deprivation: Perceptions of Legatee in Igbo land and Female Property Crimes amongst Enugu Urban Inhabitants

This study aims to garner perceptions of Enugu inhabitants on the customary practice of property transfer to inheritors and its nexus to female property crimes (FPCs). Inheritance is an age-old practice which tends to favour male folks. Women have often been relegated to the kitchen. This practice is embedded in most African cultures where the birth of a male is valued over the birth of a female child. Denial of female rights of inheritance, denial of ownership of landed property, and female marginalization in almost all social institutions seem to stem from patriarchy which in turn tend to predispose women to property crimes. This study anchored on Relative Deprivation theory. Mixed method approach was adopted. Sampling of participant was based on multi-stage sampling procedure and purposive sampling. The sample size is 1015 for the quantitative part of the study and nine key informants for the qualitative aspect. This study found that the customary practice of legatee in Igbo land is embedded in patriarchy and this holds adverse economic effects for women, culminating in FPCs which involve women of youthful age who are mostly in full blown exposure of the existing privileges and cover offered to women in patriarchal societies especially when married. This study concludes that patriarchy understood as domination of vital social and political positions by men and exclusion of women from inheriting family lands and properties is implicit to FPCs.

Analysis of Spatial Distribution of Air Pollution Level in Enugu Urban, Enugu State, Nigeria.

Air pollution is generally defined as the presence in the outdoor atmosphere of one or more contaminants such as fumes, dust, gases, mist, odour, smoke, smog, or vapors in considerable quantities and duration of which is injurious to human, animal and plant life. There has been increasing negative consequences of air pollution on public health, biotic and abiotic components of the environment. The study analyzed the spatial distribution of air pollution level in Enugu State, Nigeria using pollution data obtained from field work through the use of a gas analyzer. The student’s t-test was the statistical tool employed for the study while remote sensing and Geographic information system (GIS) were further used. It was observed that Trans-Ekulu, Abakpa and Emene are the most polluted areas in Enugu while Asata, Coal Camp and Independence layout are the best least polluted areas. CO is the major pollutant in the area whereas pollution was found to be more severe in the evening than morning period in the area. It was concluded that although pollution increased generally as the evening period approaches, the concentration of pollutants appears to decrease more significantly as progression is made towards the southern part of Enugu urban.

Crime and Infrastructure: A Case Study of Enugu Urban

Crime and Infrastructure: A Case Study of Enugu Urban

Heavy metals in dry depositions as indices of atmospheric pollution in Enugu Urban, Enugu State, Nigeria

Heavy metals in dry depositions as indices of atmospheric pollution in Enugu Urban, Enugu State, Nigeria

Geospatial mitigation of the effect of undulating terrain on efficient water distribution network: a case study of Enugu Urban, South-Eastern Nigeria

Abstract Undulating terrain has continued to aggravate pipe-borne water supply challenges in the Enugu Urban area. The rapid increase in urbanization has worsened the situation. This, therefore, calls for the deployment of systems that can support the effective planning of surface and underground facilities for the development of an efficient water distribution network in this region. Remote Sensing, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Hydrographic Survey, and Geophysical Survey, collectively referred to as geospatial technologies, have been combined in different ways by developed nations to resolve challenges facing surface and underground facilities. This study, therefore, demonstrates the application of this technology in designing an efficient water distribution network for urban areas with undulating terrain. The spot heights dataset extracted from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) satellite imagery offered the bases for the re-structure of the existing water distribution network map to accommodate the undulation of the topography. This was integrated into a GIS tool to synergize the topography with the radial and dead-end standard water distribution patterns. The result was a sub-division of the Enugu Urban Area into 12 zones with reservoirs at the most elevated points to facilitate water reticulation by gravity. The efficacy of this distribution network map was confirmed suitable with EPANET software.

The Subsurface Urban Heat Island Intensity in Enugu Urban, Nigeria

The Subsurface Urban Heat Island Intensity in Enugu Urban, Nigeria

Physicochemical Properties of Technosols in Dumpsites of Enugu Urban Southeastern, Nigeria

Physicochemical Properties of Technosols in Dumpsites of Enugu Urban Southeastern, Nigeria

Urbanization and Housing Facility in Enugu Urban, Enugu State of Nigeria

Urbanization is not a recent phenomenon neither is it peculiar to any society. It is a global phenomenon, a trans-generational process that is inevitable and never ends. Urbanization brings with it possibilities of improved access to housing and also posed challenges to urban housing in many countries. The present study has been therefore motivated by the inadequacy in housing facility in relation to the ever-increasing urban population in Enugu Urban. The broad objective of the study was to examine the effect of urbanization on housing facility in Enugu Urban, Enugu State of Nigeria. The specific objectives are to ascertain the effect of urban spatial structure on housing quality in Enugu Urban; and determine the effects of population growth on housing affordability in Enugu Urban, Enugu State of Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The population of the study was 969,074, comprising 774 staff of Enugu State Housing Development Corporation and 968,300 residents of urban areas in Enugu State. The sample size of 400 was determined using Taro Yamane formula. The purposive sampling technique was used for the selection of the respondent. The data collected were presented and analyzed using mean score and standard deviation, while the hypotheses were tested with t-test statistical analysis at 0.05 level of significance. The study revealed that urban spatial structure has significant negative effect on housing quality in Enugu Urban (χ2 cal. of 30.74 > χ2 tab. of 9.49). It was also discovered that the population growth has significant negative effect on housing affordability in Enugu Urban, Enugu State of Nigeria ((χ2 cal. of 19.65 > χ2 tab. of 9.49). It was concluded that the extent of the housing shortage in Enugu urban areas is enormous. The inadequacies are far-reaching and the deficit is both quantitative and qualitative, but not insurmountable. Based on these findings and conclusion, the study recommended for urgent multi-faceted intervention to address the housing deficit both qualitatively and quantitatively by adopting a pro-poor housing development strategy through public-private partnership. The study also recommended that the development of further estates should henceforth emphasize on low-income housing to create more houses affordable by the low income earners in Enugu urban.

EVALUATION OF PARTICULATE MATTER (PM2.5 AND PM10) CONCENTRATIONS IN THE DRY AND WET SEASONS AS INDICES OF AIR QUALITY IN ENUGU URBAN, ENUGU STATE, NIGERIA

The particulate matter (PM) is one of the major air pollutants emitted from various sources, having adverse effect on human health and environment. The study evaluates the concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 pollution in Enugu Urban. The PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations were collected from April 2018 to March 2019 using CASELLA CEL - 712 (Dust Detective). The study area was categorized under, industrial, commercial, high density residential, low density residential areas and control location in a rural area. The annual average concentration were in the ranges 23.06 ± 1.53 to 153.23 ± 28.73 µg/m3 for PM2.5 while the average concentration for PM10 ranged from 37.49 ± 3.75 to 336.49 ± 47.05 µg/m3. The average annual PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations in almost all the areas studied are above the WHO limits of PM2.5-25 µg/m3 and PM10 - 50µ/m3. Therefore, the residents of study areas are exposed to inhalable particulate which may have adverse health risk and environmental deterioration. This enrichment may be attributed mostly to human activities. Adequate attention should be given; periodic monitoring and pollution abatement measures must be strictly adhered to.

KNOWLEDGE, PERCEPTION AND ATTITUDE OF UNDERGRADUATES TOWARDS INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE IN ENUGU METROPOLIS

This study investigated the knowledge, perception and attitude of undergraduates towards intimate partners’ violence in Enugu Metropolis, Nigeria. A total of 400 randomly selected undergraduates took part in the study. Findings showed a knowledge gap about Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) among university undergraduates- supposedly knowledgeable young persons in Enugu Urban. Females were more knowledgeable than males which may be indicative of the fact that most often they are the victims. Victims of IPV among the undergraduates rarely report the infraction to the university authorities, which further encourage its perpetuation. Reasons for not reporting IPV include the fear of reprimands by victim’s parents or school authorities or further escalation. It was also found that IPV was not dependent on the number of years that victims had been in the relationship. Given the seeming unwillingness of majority of victims of IPV to report the breaches to appropriate authorities, it is concluded that curbing the menace would require commensurate sanctions and massive education of the population. It is on this note that this study recommends that IPV and gender violence as a whole be taught as one of the general courses in the universities to create more awareness on its prevalence, impact on the health and general well being of the victims. Furthermore, the authorities of universities should liaise with organizations handling issues of IPV and human rights to create centers in the universities where students can walk in and make complaints regarding IPV which would be rigorously investigated and addressed.

Microenvironmental Analysis of Housing Development and Biophysical Environment in Enugu Urban

This research carried out an empirical analysis of housing development and microenvironment biophysical elements in Enugu Urban. An experimental and Survey Research design was adopted. The questionnaire was used to represent the survey research method while the area of the practical experiment was used by the researcher to represent the experimental research method. The population of this study comprises of the various housing developments in the three Local Governments Area that make up Enugu Urban – which is Enugu East, Enugu South, and Enugu North. These locations are geo-referenced given that these three local-government areas give the study a wider and more balanced coverage. Taro Yamane’s Statistical formula was applied to determine the sample size for the study which gave n (the desired Sample Size) as 380, which was rounded off to the nearest Hundredth, making n the desired sample size = 400. The major findings of the study were that on average, housing development contributes negatively and significantly to water quality in Enugu urban (p = .003< 0.05). The experimental results revealed the physic-chemical and elemental characteristics of the water sample for the selected respective estates. Secondly, it was also discovered that on average, housing development contributes significantly to soil quality deterioration in Enugu urban (p = .007 < 0.05). The experimental dimension revealed that total organic carbon, ph, organic matter, and fixed carbon yielded average values that confirmed that housing development adversely affects soil quality in Enugu Urban for the period under analysis. It is therefore the recommendation of this study that Wastes that are pushed into waters could be turned into wealth with some research on recycling. Secondly, water pollution is not easy to solve. It is necessary that all hands must be on deck to fight it. This means that aside from controlling housing development, both government and citizen’s cooperation are needed to reduce water pollution to the barest minimum. Since water contamination comes from many different sources and has many numerous effects, every aspect of water pollution needs to be addressed. To sustain and improve soil quality in Enugu state, there is also the need for supported active research into waste minimization strategies, waste avoidance technologies, cleaner production processes, and zero-emission concepts.

Socioeconomic and Psychological Wellbeing as Correlates of Somatic Symptoms among Public Servants in Enugu Urban

The study investigated socioeconomic and psychological wellbeing on somatic symptoms among public servants in Enugu. Civil servants are the front liners in carrying out government duties and for efficient and effective delegating of these duties; they may be exposed to somatic symptoms. Participants in this study were one hundred and sixty (160) public servants selected through convenient sampling technique in two primary schools: the Command Children School and the Police Children School, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital and Nigeria Civil Defense Corps, which are aged between 18 and 60 years. The participants were assessed with three instruments namely: the Ryff psychological wellbeing, interviewer rated multivariate assessment of socioeconomic-wellbeing and clinical symptom inventory; the results were analyzed using Pearson Product’s Moment correlation analysis at 0.05. The distribution of questionnaires lasted for two months. The study concluded that workers with inappropriate socioeconomic and psychological wellbeing could predispose somatic symptoms among workers.. The researcher therefore recommends that workers should be exposed to important life skills like ability self tolerance and stress inoculation exercise; apart from that, motivation of workers and payment of their benefits on time are advocated for public servants in Enugu Urban. Keywords: Socioeconomic, Psychological Wellbeing, Somatic Symptoms, Public Servants

Urban Heat Island and Land Use/Cover Dynamics Evaluation in Enugu Urban, Nigeria

This study specifically estimated the effect of land use/cover change (LULC) processes on land surface temperature (LST) in Enugu urban and its suburbs. With Landsat images and supervised classification technique, four LULC classes comprising built-up areas, vegetation, rock outcrop, bare ground/farmland areas were delineated. The LST was extracted from the thermal bands of the images. The rate of change in land cover classes between 2009 and 2018 showed that from 2009 to 2013, built-up areas increased from 31.65% to about 47.5%, while vegetation cover decreased from 18.43% to 11.23%. Also, the periods witnessed about 8.69 km2 of vegetation being converted to other land surfaces. The trend in the LST in Enugu urban showed the highest mean temperatures of 34.5°C in 2018 and 32.26°C in 2015. However, in 2013 there was a slight decrease in mean LST to 31.65°C which further decreased to 31.26°C in 2009. This change in temperature suggests that urbanisation could have significant effect on the micro-climate of Enugu city. Result also revealed weak relationships between LULC classes and the LST throughout the years. The results of the surface heat intensity for the urban and rural areas showed general increase over the years and this suggests that rural areas are also experiencing high temperature which could be due to the loss of vegetation, increase in artificial surfaces and urban encroachment. Findings from this study could be useful for effective urban land-use planning, policy development and management in Nigeria, and elsewhere.

Effects of Noise Pollution on Residential Property Value in Enugu Urban, Nigeria

One of the persistent environmental issues today is high noise levels in residential areas especially in the developing countries. There are several unorganized informal sector activities such as recreational, road traffic, household and religious activities, operation of power generating sets, incompatible uses in space among others that are the sources of noise pollution in residential areas. A number of empirical studies have been carried out on the impact of noise on residential property values. However, one finds it very difficult to ascertain whether noise pollution affects residential property value in Enugu Urban. The aim of this study is to ascertain whether noise pollution has significant influence on residential rental values in the study area. The study has discovered that residential properties affected by noise pollution have lower rental value compared to those unaffected by 3.1% of its rental value. The study has provided some insight to guide property buyers or users, investors, property managers, and valuers as regards property transactions. The study has suggested that property value spatial index of noise pollution in the study area can be built and use as a guide for urban management strategy to achieve sustainable development.

An assessment of the Effects of Housing Development on Water quality in Enugu Urban

This study examined the effect of housing development on surface water quality in Enugu urban. The research design used for this study was experimental. A total of 11 samples of water were collected from the various selected site locations within the study area, in the three local government areas of Enugu urban. The water sample was collected with acid-washed and open dried polyethylene bottles, the samples were labeled according to their various rivers and streams, the polyethylene bottles were corked and were kept in ice-filled boxes, transported to PRODA for analysis. The major findings of the study showed that housing development in Enugu urban has a negative significant impact on water quality because Okwuosa river has an Organic matter level of 4.19 while WHO Limit is 2,9, therefore this aspect should be monitored for Okwuosa river in Enugu South. Other findings were Compared with the WHO standard and it showed that water quality deteriorates as housing development progresses. It is therefore the recommendation of the study that the housing authorities in Enugu state should institute measures to ensure that housing development does not compromise environmental quality and house owners and indeed all residents should be properly sensitized through environmental education on the dangers of abusing environmental standards.

Nigerian Criminal Justice System and Victims of Crime Neglect in Enugu Urban

As essentialareaof criminology, crime victims have really never been accorded due recognition in Nigeria. It is in this regard that this paper discusses the Nigerian criminal justice system and the issue of victim neglect in Enugu urban. Using qualitative and quantitative research approaches, a sample of 604 respondents were drawn from Enugu urban. Multi-stage and purposive sampling techniques were used to reach the respondents. Data from both questionnaires andin-depth interviews were collected. We found that most crime victims are highly neglected and there is a lack of cordial relationship between the police and crime victims in Enugu urban. The study recommends the need to consider civil aspect of cases whenpassing judgments so that crime victims would not lose on two folds, but get partially compensated for their losses. The study also calls for judges to speed up adjudication processes in order not to draw cases to elastic limit where crime victims lose faith in the criminal justice system.

Psychosocial Challenges of Caring For the Elderly: A Study of Family Caregivers in Enugu Urban, Southeastern Nigeria

Aging is often accompanied by chronic illness and continuous deterioration of mental and physical independence. This makes care giving necessary, complex and challenging. The objective of the study was to identify those social, economic and psychological changes facing family caregivers. The objective of this study was to identify those social, economic and psychological challenges facing family care givers in Enugu urban. A cross sectional survey was conducted in three LGAs in Enugu State. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods of enquiry, a total of 372 purposively selected respondents were interviewed using a structured questionnaire and an in-depth interview guide (IDI). The quantitative data was analyzed using and presented using percentages and descriptive analysis. The qualitative data was thematically analyzed. Results showed that majority (66.18%) of the caregivers were females. Caregiving of the elderly is associated with social, psychological and economic challenges therefore inclusive social policies, economic incentives and psychosocial support is strongly recommended.

Students’ Attitude to Music in Foreign Language Classes in Secondary Schools in Enugu Urban

Students’ Attitude to Music in Foreign Language Classes in Secondary Schools in Enugu Urban