Implications Of Rapid Urban Expansion On Rural Land Use In Damaturu, Yobe State, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

The implications of rapidly expanding cities on rural hinterlands have been documented in the

literature. However, such implications are understudied in developing nations including Nigeria.

This study, therefore, investigated the implications of rapid expansion of Damaturu, Yobe State,

the fastest expanding state capital in northern Nigeria on rural land use pattern from 1986 to

2009.

Environmental resource carrying capacity and distance decay effect provided the analytical

framework. Survey research design was employed, while sampling elements were clustered and

randomly sampled. The Local Government Areas surrounding Damaturu city (Damaturu,

Tarmuwa, Fune, Gujba and Kaga) were purposively selected while the four major roads linking

Damaturu with the neighbouring states provided the basis for subdividing the study area into four

zones. Settlements in each zone were grouped into three, based on distance from Damaturu

(30km). Two settlements were randomly selected from each group. Two sets

of questionnaire were administered to the population (household heads and firewood

merchants/local building resource merchants) to elicit information on socio-demographic

characteristics (population, age, sex, income), perception of urban expansion, implications on

rural land use changes, rural resources depletion and severity index. There were 8,180 residential

buildings in the selected settlements, 409 (5.0%) were randomly selected from which household

heads were sampled. Similarly, 10.0% of 351 firewood merchants, 652 local building resource

(soil, sand, gravel) merchants were randomly sampled. Imagery data collected were analysed

using appropriate software. Pre- and post-classification comparison methods were employed to

measure the changes of bare surface land, built-up area, tree-cover area and water-bodies. Data

were analyzed using descriptive statistics, weighted opinion assessment and Severity Index (SI) at

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