1

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Irregular and unsound urban development is the common
problem of all urban settlements today. The increasing
continuation of this problem is inevitable in this order, where the
economy-ecology balance is not taken into consideration and
economic concerns always win (Cengiz 2013)
In contemporary physical planning literature, the term land
use refers to the use to which a site, plot or building is put, it may
be residential, commercial, industrial, public, recreational,
agricultural or transportation (Obateru 2005)
Urban growth, the density of which is continuing
increasingly with the population increase that has taken place in
urban areas in the recent years, leads to the vanishing of an
extremely limited number of natural resources and to the
occurrence of irregular and unsound urban areas, along with
impairing the agricultural lands (Brueckner et al., 2001).
When considered from another perspective, it might be
stated that urbanization gained momentum with the industrial
revolution. When urbanization and industrialization are evaluated
together in this context, it follows that the share of
industrialization in the concentration of the population in urban
areas and in the environmental pressure it creates is a fact which
cannot be ignored (Aksu, 2011). The technological development,
the population increase and the rapid change in cities that

2
particularly occurred upon the industrial revolution have upset the
ecological balance; consequently, the process of rapid
degradation of natural resources commenced. Having continued
with a gradual increase in the need for new living spaces and
areas of use, this process of degradation has substantially altered
the working of the ecosystem with either conscious or
unconscious planning.
It is impossible to make up for the natural resources which
have been used up due to the degraded ecosystem; furthermore,
the vital impacts of this process are increasing day by day. The
cities and industrial areas (technoecosystems) which continue to
develop on natural areas especially due to the
shortcomings/mistakes in city planning are striking as one of the
most important results of this situation, Beinat, (1998)
In order for urban-industrial formations to survive on the
earth with limited resources, it is imperative that they be made
more compatible with the natural ecosystem than that of today
and that an other which benefits both parties be created without
the impairment of the working of the ecosystem (Odum and
Barrett, 2008).
Considering the principle of integration of the urban
landcape with the natural ecosystem, this study dwells on the
impacts of improper use due to wrong urban development on the
natural environment and the concept of ecological landscape
planning. Within this scope, the subjects “Incompatible Land Use,
Planning and the Planning Hierarchy in Ekwulobia, Ecological/

3
Environmentally-Sensitive Landscape planning and its
Importance were included in the study.
The importance attached, and the priority given, to the
environment and to urban ecological planning varies by society.
Furthermore, it is possible to see the variations in the
perspectives of the environment at various stages. Urban
development is defined with the increase in production and
consumption following the industrial revolution with the
assumption that the natural resources were endless and with
intensive construction activities. This stage involves some
extravagant energy and land use at this stage. The growth of the
city against agricultural lands is regarded as an essential
indication of development (Eke, 2000).
Especially the process of metropolitanization causes cities
to grow rapidly in the space and sprawl over extensive areas and
to predominate, economically and socially, in all surrounding
urban and rural communities. As a result of this, the natural
resources remaining within the metropolitan area enter the
process of being used up rapidly. This manifests itself with the
unplanned and uncontrolled growth particularly against the rapid
population increase in the metropolises of developing countries
(Sezgin and Varol, 2012).
By the phenomenon of urbanization which appeared in this
process of growth, the sprawl of cities, the absolute necessity for
establishing new settlements and the fact that urban lands could
easily be turned into a matter of speculation resulted in the rapid

4
including of fertile agricultural lands in urban lands (Keles and
Hamamci, 1993).
The rapid decrease in agricultural lands upon rapid
urbanization and industrialization is a phenomenon which is
observed worldwide besides in our country. The construction
activities of industrial establishments, roads which are their
infrastructure, sports facilities and entertainment centers take
place in fertile agricultural lands generally with the justification
that they bring fewer economic losses (Cepel, 2008).
The reasons for improper use, meaning the use of
agricultural land for nonagricultural purposes, included the
gradual increase in urbanization, the rapidly developing industry
and investments accordingly, and finally, the gaps in laws and
regulations. The economic earnings that develop depending on
the construction of houses in rapidly growing areas where urban
development is intensively felt are always higher and less risky
than the yield of the activities to be carried out in agricultural
lands, which manifests itself as the most primary reason why such
areas are preferred as urban settlements.
In this way, urbanization, one of the most serious threats
for the world’s biodiversity, most dramatically and permanently
alters land use in our country, as it does worldwide (Ricketts and
Imhoff, 2003; Yli-Pelkonen and Niemel &, 2006). Upon the
industrial branch which developed afterwards, the identification of
these lands, which continued to exist as urban development
areas, as area convenient for any nonagricultural investment and

5
their use for these purpose were supported. Since no laws or
regulations to prevent all these things and to protect fertile
agricultural lands have been made or since, even if they have
been made, they lack the necessary restrictions, the improper use
of fertile agricultural lands continues as a great national problem.
With a wide variety of definitions, planning is an integrated
system which involves a series of chaotic cases in theory and
practice and which depends on various laws and regulations
besides being a multidirectional and comprehensive concept.
According to the definition by Keles (1972), planning also involves
the absolute necessity for the rational use of the available
resources and information. The process of preparation of the
series of decisions aiming at attaining the targets which have
been specified regarding the activities to take place in the future
as a whole via the optimum means is called planning (Akay,
2009).
Article 166 of the 1982 Constitution is entitled “Planning”
and assigns the state the task of planning which ensures
“economic, social and cultural development, particularly the rapid
development of industry and agriculture at the national level in a
balanced and compatible way, and the efficient use of national
resources by making their inventory and evaluation”.
There are numerous laws, statutes, regulations and
circulars which direct development in our country, with the most
determinative one being the Development Law No. 3194 and the
regulations affiliated to it. Depending on the variety of the objects

6
intended to be planned, a large number of types of plans are
encountered in the development law. Some of these types of
plans were organized in the Development Law No. 3194, while
some of them were left to Article 4 of the law and the regulations
to be made with special laws. It is possible to classify the plans
which arise from the provisions of the Development Law as “types
of plans for general purpose” and the plans which are for special
purposes and which are envisaged for the areas that are the
subject of a different planning regime as “types of plans for
special purpose” (Table 1) (Erdem and Coskun, 2009). Of the
following types of plans, Upper-Scale Plans, the Physical Plan of
the country, the Regional Plan and the Land Use Plan are types of
socio-economic and ecological plans, while the remaining plans
are called “types of physical plans”.
Even though most of the above-mentioned types of plans
are in some way contained in the law, the majority are the types
of plans with no implementation in practice. In Article 6, entitled
“The Planning Hierarchy”, of the second section entitled
“Fundamental Principles on Development Plans” in the
Development Law No. 3194 that was shaped with an
understanding which was extremely far from conserving the
natural resources and that was primarily organized in order to
ensure the shaping of urban living spaces, it is laid down
that “plan are prepared as “Regional Plans” in terms of the area
they cover and their purposes, whereas development plans are
prepared as “Master Plans” and” Implementation Development

7
Plans”. In other words, spatial plans are collected in two main
ranks as Upper-Scale Plans (the Regional Plan} and Lower-Scale
Plans (Development Plans}, although not clearly defined in the
law. Development plans are subdivided into two as “the Master
Plan” and “the Implementation Development Plan”. Another type
of plan included in Article 5 of the law,
entitled “Definitions”, is “the Environmental Order Plan”. This
type of plan should again be regarded as an upper-scale plan type
both owing to the content provided in the definition and because
it is not included in the definition of “Development Plans”. In
conclusion, when the related articles of the Development Law are
evaluated together, it is possible to speak of three main plan
ranks, namely Regional Plans, Environmental Order Plans and
Development Plans, although not defined systematically (Erosy,
2006).
The types of plans and their definitions which are contained
in the law are as follows (Ercoskun et al., 2004; Erdem and
Coskun, 2009; Demirel, 2010; Demirel, 2010; the Ministry of
Environment and City Planning, 2010)
1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEMS
It has been noticed that, there are problems associated
with incompatible land uses in central business district (CBD) in
most urban areas. These include untidy confusion, high
population rate, traffic congestion as a result of a mixture of
incompatible uses to which land has been subjected. To these
categories of problems are very common, in most urban area

8
where many activities such as commercial and services activities
from, residential, industrialization and recreational location are
been found. The above stated problems have given rise to the
government to enforce zoning regulation especially at the core
areas of our cities.
Despite this, the incompatible uses still continue to exist in
the CBD areas. For this reason, this project research work intends
to provide answers to some relevant question such as;
i. What are the existing land uses in the study area?
ii. What are the problems emanating from the
distribution of land uses in the study area?
1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study is to examine the effect of incompatible land
uses in Ekwulobia urban landscape (i.e central businesses district
of capital city of Anambra State).
1.4 OBJECTIVES
To achieve the broad goal, the following objectives are set up:
i. To examine and identify the incompatibility land
uses in Ekwulobia metropolis.
ii. To assess the existing land use pattern in Ekwulobia
metropolis .
iii. To assess the effect of incompatibility in the study
area
iv. To determine government efforts to control those
problems emanating from the incompatible land use

9
RESEARCH QUESTION

In order to guide the study, some researchable questions are

formulated and they are follow.

1. What regulations are being put in place to check land use act

2. What is the effect of incompatibility in the study area

3. What is the effect and characteristics of incompatible land

use act.

4. What is the capacity and efforts of the administrative

framework in incompatible land use.

RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

Idea of the research based on known facts

i. NULL HYPOTHESIS (Ho): There is no significant variation in

the incompatible land use act.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study is limited to Ekwulobia town and its immediate social-

economical regions, the scope covers the effect of incompatible
land use act.

10
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study will immensely be of help to the study area because it

assesses and estimates all the causes and effects of incompatible
land use management.

The menace caused by incompatible land use in the environment,

compatible land use will go a long way to solve the problem and
enhance good public health.

To the government and stake holders this will serve as a guide for
further contribution in general it will enhance the overall
development for some estate industries in the state.

STUDY AREA

This research is based on Ekwulobia a town in Aguata Local

Government Area Anambra State Nigeria,

The study area has the population of about 79,317 according to

the National population commission (NPC) of 2006 they are
notable for their Archaeological sites where excavation have
found bronze artifacts.

Economic base of Ekwulobia

Ekwulobia is an Igbo-speaking town in southeastern Nigeria.[citation
needed]
It is the one of the largest cities in Anambra
State after Awka, Onitsha, and Nnewi and their respective
conurbations.[citation needed] It is the headquarters of the
present Aguata local government and the headquarters of the
old Aguata Local Government that comprised the present Aguata

11
local government and Orumba North and South local
governments.[citation needed]
Ekwulobia contains nine villages, traditionally treated as two
sectors: Ezi and Ifite. The villages under Ezi are Umuchiana,
Umuchi, Okpo, Nkono, Abogwume, and Ihuokpala, and the
villages under Ifite are Agba, Ula, and Eziagulu. [citation needed]
The traditional ruler, or igwe, is Emmanuel Chukwukadibia
Onyeneke.[1]
The town houses an Anglican cathedral called the Cathedral
Church of Saint John, a Roman Catholic cathedral called the Saint
Joseph's Cathedral, and other churches. In March 2020, Pope
Francis installed Peter Okpaleke as Bishop of Ekwulobia after the
creation of the new diocese.[2] He had previously served as Bishop
of Ahiar until his resignation in 2018.
The town also contains a central park, a large daily market,
various primary, secondary, and tertiary educational institutions,
hotels and resorts, a prison, a soccer stadium, and the Ekwulobian
General Hospital. Ekwulobia is known for its special masquerades
called the Achikwu,[3] typically occurring during Christmas and
Easter celebrations.

Map of Ekwulobia KEY

Church

Hotel

Health

Market

12
13
 CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Irregular and unsound urban development is the common

problem of all urban settlements today. The increasing
continuation of this problem is inevitable in this order, where the
economy-ecology balance is not taken into consideration and
economic concerns always win.

Urban growth, the density of which is continuing increasingly with

the population increase that has taken place in urban areas in the
recent years, leads to the vanishing of an extremely limited
number of natural resources and to the occurrence of irregular
and unsound urban areas, along with impairing the agricultural
lands (Brueckner et al., 2001).
When considered from another perspective, it might be stated
that urbanization gained momentum with the industrial
revolution. When urbanization and industrialization are evaluated
together in this context, it follows that the share of
industrialization in the concentration of the population in urban
areas and in the environmental pressure it creates is a fact which
cannot be ignored (Aksu, 2011). The technological development,
the population increase and the rapid change in cities that
particularly occurred upon the industrial revolution have upset the
ecological balance; consequently, the process of rapid
degradation of natural resources commenced. Having continued

14
with a gradual increase in the need for new living spaces and
areas of use, this process of degradation has substantially altered
the working of the ecosystem with either conscious or
unconscious planning.

It is impossible to make up for the natural resources which have

been used up due to the degraded ecosystem; furthermore, the
vital impacts of this process are increasing day by day. The cities
and industrial areas (technoecosystems) which continue to
develop on natural areas especially due to the
shortcomings/mistakes in city planning are striking as one of the
most important results of this situation.

Technoecosystems are ecosystems which occur with the

rearrangement of natural ecosystems and on which urban-
industrial societies live. Being relatively new on the earth, these
systems provide their power from advanced technologies and
non-self-renewing energy resources. In order for urban-industrial
formations to survive on the earth with limited resources, it is
imperative that they be made more compatible with the natural
ecosystem than that of today and that an order which benefits
both parties be created without the impairment of the working of
the ecosystem (Odum and Barrett, 2008).

In conclusion, upon the impairment of the working of the

ecosystem, the fertile agricultural lands which are particularly
impossible to reclaim have been confronted with the danger of
degradation and vanishing, along with the natural areas that must
15
absolutely be conserved within the ecosystem. Therefore,
preservation of the ecological balance and the concept of
ecological landscape planning that developed accordingly are the
primary issues on which one must strongly dwell today.

Considering the principle of integration of the urban ecosystem

with the natural ecosystem, this study dwells on the impacts of
improper use due to wrong urban development on the natural
environment and the concept of ecological landscape planning.
Within this scope, the subjects “Improper Land Use, Planning and
the Planning Hierarchy in Turkey, Ecological/Environmentally-
Sensitive Landscape Planning and its Importance, and the
Relationship between Sustainable Urbanization and Ecological
Planning” were included in the study.

At the next stage of the study, the losses of fertile agricultural

lands resulting from the lands which were opened to development
at the city center of Çanakkale, selected in order to explain the
matter with a concrete example, are contained in the study with
numerical expressions and figures. At the final stage, an overall
evaluation of the planning hierarchy on the urban scale in our
country was made, and the legal and administrative gaps in the
improper use of the land were investigated thoroughly.
Accordingly, the reasons for, the consequences of and the
solutions to improper land uses frequently taking place in urban
area planning were discussed.

2.2 Conceptual framework

16
Improper land use

The importance attached, and the priority given, to the

environment and to urban ecological planning varies by society.
Furthermore, it is possible to see the variations in the
perspectives of the environment at various stages. Urban
development is defined with the increase in production and
consumption following the industrial revolution with the
assumption that the natural resources were endless and with
intensive construction activities. This stage involves some
extravagant energy and land use at this stage. The growth of the
city against agricultural lands is regarded as an essential
indication of development (Eke, 2000).

Especially the process of metropolitanization causes cities to grow

rapidly in the space and sprawl over extensive areas and to
predominate, economically and socially, in all surrounding urban
and rural communities. As a result of this, the natural resources
remaining within the metropolitan area enter the process of being
used up rapidly. This manifests itself with the unplanned and
uncontrolled growth particularly against the rapid population
increase in the metropolises of developing countries (Sezgin and
Varol, 2012).

By the phenomenon of urbanization which appeared in this

process of growth, the sprawl of cities, the absolute necessity for
establishing new settlements and the fact that urban lands could
easily be turned into a matter of speculation resulted in the rapid
17
inclusion of fertile agricultural lands in urban lands (Keleş and
Hamamcı, 1993).

2.3 LITERATURE REVIEW

The rapid decrease in agricultural lands upon rapid urbanization

and industrialization is a phenomenon which is observed
worldwide besides in our country. The construction activities of
industrial establishments, roads which are their infrastructure,
sports facilities and entertainment centers take place in fertile
agricultural lands generally with the justification that they bring
fewer economic losses (Çepel, 2008).

The reasons for improper use, meaning the use of agricultural

land for nonagricultural purposes, include the gradual increase in
urbanization, the rapidly developing industry and investments
accordingly, and, finally, the gaps in laws and regulations. The
economic earnings that develop depending on the construction of
houses in rapidly growing areas where urban development is
intensively felt are always higher and less risky than the yield of
the activities to be carried out in agricultural lands, which
manifests itself as the most primary reason why such areas are
preferred as urban settlements.

Improper use generally takes place on the fertile agricultural

lands which are generally Class I to Class IV agricultural lands,
where any plant can grow, which are plain, which are well-

18
drained, where the soil depth is high, and which definitely should
not be used for nonagricultural purposes.

2.4 CONCLUSION SUMMARY

In this way, urbanization, one of the most serious threats for the
world’s biodiversity, most dramatically and permanently alters
land use in our country, as it does worldwide (Ricketts and Imhoff,
2003; Yli-Pelkonen and Niemelä, 2006).

Upon the industrial branch which developed afterwards, the

identification of these lands, which continued to exist as urban
development areas, as areas convenient for any nonagricultural
investment and their use for these purposes were supported.
Since no laws or regulations to prevent all these things and to
protect fertile agricultural lands have been made or since, even if
they have been made, they lack the necessary restrictions, the
improper use of fertile agricultural lands continues as a great
national problem.

19
 CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This research is meant critically to examine the consequences of
incompatible land uses on the environment in Ekwulobia. The
research being carried out has to do with investigation and
exploration study for better understanding of the topic, the nature
of the soil and the topography of the area determines the types of
land and the method of control. During the course of this study,
the researcher realized that being conversant with the devastated
area will help to have a more insight in the effects and the
problems on land uses.

The area of the problems of incompatible land uses on the

environment is based on the agricultural farming activities of the
inhabitants of the land was highlighted.

This study includes also the way data analysis was collected for
the research conducted, the chapter also presents description of
population, research design, sampling techniques used, area
sample six, constraints and also the procedure used for the study
in the area and all the environments of Ekwulobia in order to
determine the problems and the strict effects of erosion in the
area. Since erosion menace has cost much to this area, there is
much needs for this research.

20
3.1 Research Design

The research design used in the research is research survey due

to the structural disposition of the development of strategy for
finding something unknown. Survey research is a method of
investigation and the best available to social research. Interview
and observation were used in the research in the area of the
study.

3.2 Population and Sample Determination

The population for this study is made up of the entire inhabitants

of Ekwulobia which comprises of civil servants,
traders/businessmen and women, students and farmers etc.

Therefore the population of the study area as at 2006 when the

last census population was estimated to be 40,000 which
comprises of both indigenes and the non – indigenes in the whole
Ekwulobia area.

3.3 Population Projection

In projecting the population from 2006-2015, I apply the following

formula, PO (1+r/100) n

Where P+ - is the projected population

PO- is the present population

R – Is the rate of population growth

n- Is the number of projected years

21
Using

Pt-PO (1+r/100) n

Pt=40,000 (1+r/100)9

Pt=40,000x1.304774184

Pt=52,190.92735

=pt=52,191

However, the sample of 52, 191 were selected to be the

representative of the study area (Ekwulobia).

The total number of respondent selected from each of the five

villages is 100 hundred persons at which one questionnaire per
household. The study are stratified sampling methods was applied
since the population was homogenous.

3.4 SOURCE OF DATA

In carrying out this study, I made use of two conventional sources

of data collection namely:

1. Primary data collection

2. Secondary data collection

Primary Data collection

This is a primary source of data collection by which information

were collected specifically for the study, however this was done
through personal oral interview method. Observation method and

22
the questionnaire design, the observation and the information
from the interview helped me to have the knowledge on how to
design my questionnaire as well as areas to distribute them.

Secondary Data collection

Secondary data refers to that information gotten from other

people’s work, people that have carried out research on the same
problem. This is necessary to know what has been done and avoid
repetition of what has been done.

Secondary data are of primary importance because it helps in

collecting desk research before collecting primary data. However,
in the course of this research, so many journals and books were
consulted to have an insight of what has been done in the area,
concerning the causes and the control of the erosion menace.

3.5 SAMPLING TECHNIQE

In this research work, stratified random sampling method was

adopted to collect data; this method was used because in
selecting a sample is where all the segment members of the
population have an equal chance of being selected.

In stratified random sampling, it involves defining the population

strata identifying each strata members of the population and
selecting individuals for the sample on completely chance basis

23
3.6 METHOD OF INSTRUMENT FOR DATA COLLECTION

INTERVIEWS

Interviews can be conducted in person or over the telephone. It

can be done formally or informally. Question should be focused,
clear and encourage open-ended response interview are mainly
qualitative in nature e.g. one on one conversation with parents of
at risk youth who can help you understand the issue.

QUESTIONAIRE

Responses can be analyzed with quantitative method by

assigning numerical values to liker type scale. Result is generally
Easier to analyze.

Observation

Allow for the study of the dynamic of the situation frequency

count of target behavior or other behaviors as indicated by needs
of the evaluation. Good source for providing additional
information about a particular group can use video to provide
documentation.

3.6 METHOD OF PRESTATION AND ANALYSIS

i. descriptive method.

ii. Inferential method.

3.6.1 DESCRITIVE METHOD OF DATE PRESTATION

24
It is term given to the analysis of data that helps describe show
or summarize data in a meaningful way such that for example
patterns might emerge from the data. Descriptive statistic do no,
however allow us to make conclusion beyond hypothesis we
might have made. They are simply a way to describe our data.

It is very important because if we have presented our raw

date. It would be hard to visualize what the data was showing;
especially if there was a lot of it. Descriptive statistics therefore
enable us to present the data in a more meaningful way.

3.6.2 HYPOTHESIS TESTING TECHNIQUE

The data collected from the field survey were analyzed through
the use of percentage distribution table, words description were
also used to explain the percentage data.

In testing of hypothesis, chi-square method was used to test the

state hypothesis; formula for chi-square is as follows:

X2 = E (Of-Ef) 2/Ef

Where OF = observed frequency

Ef = expected frequency

E = summation

DF = degree of freNBedom

V = (R-1) (C-1)

R = No. of rows

25
C = No. of columns

26
 CHAPTER FOUR

DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION

4.1 INTRODUCTION

Data organized and summarized can be presented or represented

in many ways, depending on the type and nature of the data. by
the type have it meant whether the data is ordinary normal or
ratio data ,and by the nature it is presented whether the data are
discrete or continuous.

There are about five method of data presentation which are the
histogram, pie chart one graph bar chart and histogram

Data presentation and analysis

For convenience and simplicity percentage distribution was used

in the presentation and data analysis data collected from the field
survey statistical tools were used for appropriate number of the
respondent. Appreciate statistical table should be employed to
determine the growth and the number of the respondent

4.2 Test of hypothesis

Each hypothesis consist of two values HO and HI

HO: states the null hypothesis that no relation exist between

phenomenon

27
HI: there is significant relationship between physical planning
strategies and erosion menace in Ekwulobia.

Hypothesis 1

Ho: disunity in the area does not significantly affect physical

planning and erosion menace

Table 4.2.1

Problems Yes No Total

Lack of 40 50 136
drainage
system
Method of 100 75 185
farming
Deforestation 100 80 100
Over grazing 50 30 100
Total 350 235 521
Source: field survey and 2015

Hypothesis 2

Strategies employed to control erosion menace in land use act

has no significant impact to control erosion in land use act

Table 4.2.2

Yes No Total
Impact of 70 35 30
erosion

28
menace
Planting of 30 50 100
cashew trees
Planting of 50 50 100
bamboo
Planting of 50 30 185
palm tees
Control of 35 70 136
drainage
Total 235 235 521
Source: field survey and analysis 2015

Decision rule

Since the calculated value is greater than the artificial table

value, the alternative hypothesis is occupied while the null
hypothesis was rejected, that is to say that the strategies
employed does not affect the significant of the development of
erosion menace in land use act.

4.4 Discussion of result

Factors responsible for erosion menace in land use act

Factors Respondent Percentage

Exploitation 90 17.3
Bush burning 75 14.4
Deforestation 80 15.41
Topograph 76 14.6

29
Soil type 85 16.3
Over grazing 55 10.6
Others 60 11.5
Total 521 100
Source; field survey and analysis.

4.5 SUMMARY

To protect the soil erosion and to do as much of the rain as

possible in a place where crops can use it as a big part of modern
soil management S.O steels.

30
 CHAPTER FIVE

5.1 Summary of Findings

It has been noted that land is the main component of housing

problem in urban areas. The problems surrounding availability
of land in urban areas have been identified and some of them
are set out below:

i. Various policies and regulations that were formulated

by governments at all levels to tackle the problems of
housing have not provided the required solution to
housing deficiency in the country.

ii. The fees payable and the procedure of obtaining

Certificate of Occupancy and the Governor’s consent is
about 15% and in areas it is up to 45% of the cost of
the land purchased. This creates a problem in housing
delivery especially if these documents are required to
secure financial assistance from banks. It also leaves
room for fraud and compromise. The long time it takes
to obtain consent (from six months to eternity) has
made reliance on properties as collateral security for
loans quite unattractive, as the process of perfecting a
legal mortgage is cumbersome.

iii. Most housing programmes implemented by Public

Housing Corporation have only benefited the high and
medium income groups to the detriment of the low-

31
 income earners.

iv. Private estate developers that have taken up the

initiatives for housing development have only
succeeded in creating expensive residential estates
due to high cost of construction, that are not affordable
by low-income earners.

v. The present land policy in the country is faced with

many problems that make land acquisition difficult for
corporate estate developers.

vi. High interest rates have not made procurement of

capital for housing development through mortgage
finance attractive to developers.

vii. There is no special assistance or grants available

presently to developers from government or
philanthropists that could serve as incentives to
corporate estate developers for the provision of
affordable houses which can meet the need of low
income groups.

viii. The short period of amortization of loan from financial

institutions does not provide low income earners
opportunity to take loans for the acquisition of their
own houses from the residential estates built by estate
developers.

ix. Most building materials such as cement, electrical

fittings, sanitary wares etc. are being imported with

32
 very high exchange rate resulting in high cost of
houses in the face of declining value of Nigeria.

x. The current design of residential estates which are

bogus, expensive and cost ineffective does not
consider the way of life, the economic means and
ability of the low income earners.

xi. The locations of most of the existing estates are too far
from the places of work. The residents therefore, spend
more on transport fare to commute everyday to their
various places of work.

xii. Non-implementation of planning laws and regulations in

the country has not allowed the formulation of
development plans, make development control difficult
and speedy processing of building plans and approvals
unrealizable.

xiii. Lack of even distribution of basic infrastructural

facilities such as water, road, electricity etc. do not
allow for proper development of many residential
estates.

5.2 Recommendation
The current situation of the Incompatible land uses on the
environment in Ekwulobia, Aguata L.G.A calls for immediate
attention to prevent further deterioration and ameliorate the
existing problems.

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5.3 Contribution of the study to knowledge
This research work will help to expand our knowledge on how to
avoid incompatible uses of land.

5.4 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDIES

The study focused mainly on Incompatible land uses on the

environment in Ekwulobia, Aguata L.G.A. The research finding
related poor rural road conditions to the good and services losses
incurred by land users.

5.2 Conclusion

From the foregoing, the Land Use Act has not succeeded in
making land readily available to Nigerians because the
process of accessibility to land is long, tortuous and
expensive. Allocation of land by the Government is
selective and cases of speculators who hoard land making
it expensive abound. The efforts of the public and the
private sectors at ameliorating the shortage of affordable
housing for the low income earners have not produced
significant strategies for solving the housing problems in
our urban centres. In the past few years, the Nigerian
economy has witnessed serious macro economic problems
characterized by slow down in economic activities, low
capital utilization, growing accelerated inflation, intensified
exchange rate depreciation as well as high and perversed

34
regime of interest rates. High interest rates have not made
procurement of capital for housing development through
mortgage finance attractive to developers.

However, in order to make substantial in roads in the

provision of affordable house for low income group of the
society, there is a need for a system of careful policy
formulation and planning in terms of the character,
structure, location or neighbourhood of such housing which
will enhance the performance of the corporate estate
developer. There is need for an enabling law making it
mandatory that houses built for the low income group
should be occupied strictly by the people of the class. All
applicants should make proof and defaulters should be
highly penalized.

35
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