Assessment of housing quality in Ibeju-Lekki peri-urban settlement, Lagos State, Nigeria

Abstract

English: This article assesses housing quality in Ibeju-Lekki, a peripheral settlement outside Lagos metropolitan region. Using purposive sampling, 370 housing units from clusters of 16 periurban settlements constituted the sample size. Primary data was sourced through structured questionnaires, interview (with local planning personnel) and observation schedules administered through a field survey. Using Statistical Package for Social Sciences, data analysis was done using descriptive analysis to generate frequencies and percentages on socio-economic profile, neighbourhood quality, locational quality, dwelling quality, and building materials used. Tests of correlation were conducted on the mean of variables of neighbourhood quality, locational quality and building materials, derived through recoding of variables by means of Transform statistical tool, to establish the factors influencing housing quality in the study area. The findings show a significant positive correlation between household income and housing quality. The latter is found to be influenced by respondents’ socio-economic attributes, building materials, neighbourhood quality, and locational quality in the study area. It can be concluded that socio-economic characteristics, predominantly income of households, play a major role in the level of housing quality that can be accessed in the study area. It is, therefore, recommended that the state government and private developers should promote alternative building materials, in order to enhance housing affordability by the low-income group. This will reduce the spread of informal housing development. In addition, the state government should align urban policy to eliminate disparity in infrastructural development which has impacted on poor neighbourhood and locational quality in Lagos peri-urban settlements.

Afrikaans: Hierdie artikel evalueer behuisingsgehalte in Ibeju-Lekki, ’n perifere nedersetting buite die Lagos Metropolitaanse streek. Met behulp van doelgerigte steekproefneming, is 370 behuisingseenhede uit groepe van 16 stedelike nedersettings gekies om die steekproefgrootte te verteenwoordig. Primêre data is verkry deur gestruktureerde vraelyste, onderhoud (met plaaslike beplanning personeel) en waarnemingsskedules opgestel tydens veldwerk. Met behulp van die Statistiese Pakket vir Sosiale Wetenskappe SSPS 22 is data-analise gedoen met behulp van beskrywende analise om frekwensies en persentasies op sosio-ekonomiese profiel, buurtkwaliteit, liggingskwaliteit, woonkwaliteit en boumateriaal te genereer. Korrelasietoetse is gedoen op die gemiddeldes van veranderlikes van buurtkwaliteit, lokasiekwaliteit en boumateriaal, afgelei deur herkodering van hierdie veranderlikes deur die Transform statistiese instrument, om die faktore wat behuisingskwaliteit in die studiegebied beïnvloed, vas te stel. Die resultate toon ’n beduidende positiewe verband tussen huishoudelike inkomste en behuisingskwaliteit. Behuisingskwaliteit word ook beïnvloed deur die respondente se sosio-ekonomiese eienskappe, boumateriaal, buurtkwaliteit en liggingskwaliteit in die studiegebied. Daar kan afgelei word dat sosio-ekonomiese eienskappe, hoofsaaklik inkomste van huishoudings, ’n belangrike rol speel in die vlak van behuisingskwaliteit wat in die studiegebied verkry kan word. Daar word dus aanbeveel dat die staatsregering en private ontwikkelaars alternatiewe boumateriaal bevorder om die behuisings-bekostigbaarheid van die lae inkomstegroep te verbeter. Dit sal die verspreiding van informele behuisingsontwikkeling verminder. Ook moet die staatsregering die stedelike beleid in ooreenstemming bring om ongelykheid in infrastruktuurontwikkeling uit te skakel wat die swak omgewing en liggingskwaliteit in Lagos peri-stedelike nedersettings beïnvloed het.